Department for Transport

British Transport Police: Emergency Services Network

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for the British Transport Police to transition to the Emergency Services Network.

Paul Maynard: The timetable for the transition of the British Transport Police is dependent on the timing of the national rollout programme. It is currently envisaged that transition will take place no earlier than 2020.

Travel: Concessions

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of regional and local variations in the provision of transport services for pensioners across England; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Maynard: None. The Department is, however, consulting on a draft Accessibility Action Plan seeking views on what more needs to be done to improve transport accessibility for all users of transport services, including people with disabilities and older people. The consultation closes on 15 November. The Plan includes various commitments including that the Department will develop, in consultation with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee, effective ways of measuring travel patterns and trends among disabled and older people over time as a basis for targeted policy initiatives.

Aviation

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 108866, on aviation, how many employees with substantial experience of bilateral aviation negotiations and agreements were employed by his Department (a) before June 2016 and (b) in October 2017.

Mr John Hayes: As indicated in my response of 30 October 2017 to Question 108866, my Department has the relevant and sufficient experience and expertise needed to carry out bilateral aviation negotiations and to conclude agreements. This includes a considerable number of policy officials and legal advisors with technical expertise and practical experience of negotiations across the Department, as well as the ability to draw on other organisations, including collaboration with industry.

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the position and dates of employment were of each former HS2 Ltd employee who received a redundancy payment; and what information the Department holds on (a) the previous employer and (b) the subsequent employer of each such employee.

Paul Maynard: HS2 Ltd does not intend to publish details of the individuals that received the payments because they would have a reasonable expectation that their information would remain confidential. Disclosure of this information would be in breach of the first principle of the Data Protection Act 1998.

High Speed Two: Pay

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what total salary payment will be received by the HS2 Ltd Finance Director between 30 October 2017 and the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

Paul Maynard: In line with the Government’s policy on transparency, HS2 Ltd publishes details of employees who receive more than £150,000 per annum on the Cabinet Office website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/senior-officials-high-earners-salaries The current Finance Director at HS2 Ltd is an interim employee, the incoming permanent Finance Director’s salary details will be published in line with this policy once they have taken up their post in January 2018. The Chief Financial Officer’s salary is £415,000 and is also published in line with the Government’s policy on transparency.

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the NAO report that HS2 Ltd has been paying out unauthorised redundancy payments, what discussions he has had with HS2 Ltd on whether the Chief Financial Officer of HS2 Ltd should continue in his role until the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

Paul Maynard: The Secretary of State did not have any discussion with HS2 Ltd on whether the Chief Financial Officer of HS2 Ltd should continue in his role until the end of the 2017-18 financial year.

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many email documents were created falsely to attempt to show communications on the HS2 Ltd redundancy scheme with his Department; and who was responsible for those documents.

Paul Maynard: We are aware of the one email created by an official at HS2 Ltd that, had it been sent when it was purported to have been sent, would have shown earlier communication of the full extent of the redundancy scheme to the Department for Transport. Interrogation of IT serves has demonstrated that this email was not sent. In addition, we are aware of two presentations, one dated 29 January 2016 and one dated August 2016 that were provided to the National Audit Office and the Department for Transport. Both presentations appear to have been altered between 2016 & 2017 to insert an additional slide that did not appear in the original versions, illustrating enhanced redundancy terms. Further details of these documents can be found in paragraphs 23, 24, 25 and 31 of the Government Internal Audit Agency Report published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-internal-audit-agency-report-into-hs2-ltd-redundancy-schemes

High Speed Two: Redundancy Pay

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he is considering a fraud investigation as a result of the Government Internal Audit Agency and Department Management letter of 11 October on the HS2 Ltd Redundancy schemes that says they were unable to identify formal day-to-day governance over the operation of the scheme that would allow the organisations to demonstrate how the scheme was not open to error or manipulation by an employee.

Paul Maynard: The GIAA report states that although auditors were unable to identify formal day-to-day governance over the operation of the scheme that would allow them to demonstrate that it was not open to error or manipulation by an employee, there was no indication of serious error in administering the scheme. The Department is not currently considering a fraud investigation in relation to these matters.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of diesel cars which have had their diesel particulate filters removed.

Jesse Norman: The Department has not estimated the total number of diesel cars which have had their diesel particulate filters (DPF) removed. However a check for the physical presence of a DPF at MOT was introduced in February 2014. Since this change was introduced, over 2,000 vehicles have failed their MOT for a missing or non-functioning DPF.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the removal of diesel particulate filters from cars.

Jesse Norman: It is an offence under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulation 61a(3)) to use a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet. Removal of a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) will almost invariably result in a contravention of the Regulations, making the vehicle illegal to use on the road. The Department’s officials are considering ways to develop these regulations further in order to ensure that anyone caught flouting the rules, or advertising services to circumvent the law, is brought before the courts.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Fracking: Planning Permission

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether it is his policy to ensure that major shale planning decisions are the responsibility of the National Planning Regime.

Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 26 October 2017



The Government's position is clear that major shale planning decisions will be made the responsibility of the National Planning Regime.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of people living in social tenancies have been in rent arrears in each financial year since 2012-13.

Alok Sharma: The Department's English Housing Survey collects information on the proportion of households in the social rented sector who are in rent arrears. The latest data can be found in Annex Table 1.14 here:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595786/2015-16_Section_1_Households_Annex_Tables.xlsx

Housing Benefit

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of people living in social tenancies have downsized in each year since the introduction of the spare room subsidy.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not held centrally.

Social Rented Housing

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of people living in social tenancies are registered to  downsize.

Alok Sharma: The information requested is not held centrally.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department was consulted by the Department for Exiting the European Union on the economic impact assessments conducted for the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government is carrying out an ongoing programme of comprehensive analytical work that will inform our negotiating position with the EU, to define our deep and special partnership with the EU and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks.My Department is working with officials across government, in close coordination with the Department for Exiting the European Union, to ensure the delivery of a holistic programme of analysis across government.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Trade Unions

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what meetings (a) he and (b) his Department has had with representatives of trades unions in the last 12 months.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department has an established Employee Relations Framework under which we consult our recognised trade unions on a range of employment and staffing matters relevant to their members who work in the Department. Such discussions will occur throughout the year and will take place as required dependent, to an extent, upon if and how we propose to change, develop or improve our employment policies or employee engagement strategy. The significant majority of such meetings are informal in nature and we do not routinely maintain a record of the number or content of these discussions. The Department ensures that our employee relations work and trade union activity and time operate within the guidelines set by Cabinet Office.Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretary meetings with external organisations can be found at the following links on gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dclg-ministerial-datahttps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/business-expenses-and-hospitality-for-dclg-senior-officials

Carbon Monoxide: Alarms

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of properties with carbon monoxide detectors installed in the (a) private and (b) social rented sector.

Alok Sharma: The English Housing Survey collects and publishes data on carbon monoxide detectors by tenure. The latest data can be found in Annex Table 1.18 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/595787/2015-16_Section_2_Housing_Stock_Annex_Tables.xlsx

Empty Property

Mr Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Government's guidance on abandonment of properties under the provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 is planned to come into force.

Alok Sharma: No date has yet been planned for publication of guidance on abandonment of properties under the provisions of the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Affordable Housing: Construction

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes he plans to build in each region of England in each year until 2022.

Alok Sharma: Building more affordable housing is a Government priority. That is why we are investing over £9 billion in our Affordable Homes Programme 2016-21 to deliver a wide range of affordable housing, including social rent homes, by March 2021.The Programme is flexible and sets no ring fences on particular forms of tenure. The precise number of homes and where they are built will depend on the bids that are received. This allows providers to have the flexibility and agility to respond to local needs and markets – building the right homes in the right places.

Housing: Freehold and Leasehold

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of people who own their home on a (a) freehold and (b) leasehold basis in England; and if he will make  a statement.

Alok Sharma: My Department has recently published estimates of the number of leasehold dwellings in England. These can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimating-the-number-of-leasehold-dwellings-in-england-2015-to-2016

Ground Rent

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the rise in the level of ground rent for leaseholders who own their leaseholds in (a) Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle constituency and (b) England in the last 20 years; and if he will make  a statement.

Alok Sharma: The Department does not hold this information.The Government’s consultation, Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market, considered a number of issues within the leasehold sector including the sale of new built leasehold houses, and onerous ground rents. The consultation also sought views on what further areas of leasehold reform should be prioritised and why.The public consultation, which closed on 19 September, received around 6,000 replies. We are carefully analysing the responses, and will issue the Government response in due course.

Radicalism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2017 to Question 107854, on radicalism, whether the information referred to has been made available in languages other than English.

Mr Marcus Jones: It is not departmental policy to provide published documents in any language other than English or, when conducting public business in Wales, Welsh.

Building Regulations: Energy

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 October 2017 to Question 106154, on housing: carbon emissions, if he will begin reviewing the minimum energy performance requirements in the building regulations of new homes before the independent review led by Dame Judith Hackitt is published.

Alok Sharma: As set out in the Clean Growth Strategy published on 12 October 2017, following the outcome of Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of Building Regulations and fire safety, and subject to its conclusions, we will consult on improving energy requirements for new homes where this is cost-effective and affordable to do so.

Compulsory Purchase: Greater London

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he plans to make a decision on the compulsory purchase orders required for the delivery of the new housing and retail facilities planned for the Brent Cross and Cricklewood development.

Alok Sharma: My Department is actively considering the report of the Inspector into the London Borough of Barnet Compulsory Purchase Order (No 1 & 2) 2015. Once the Secretary of State has received advice and made a decision on whether or not to confirm Compulsory Purchase Orders 1 & 2, a formal, reasoned decision letter will be issued.

Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will place a copy of any government impact assessment on the effect of leaving the EU on the construction sector in the Library.

Alok Sharma: Parliament has voted repeatedly not to disclose material that could damage the United Kingdom’s position in its negotiations with the European Union. My Department has been involved in ongoing cross-government analysis of the potential impacts of EU exit. Until advised further by Government, disclosing further information would risk undermining our negotiating position with the EU.

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 July 2017 to Question 750, on building regulations: fires, what the evidential basis is for progress having been made on the review of fire safety guidance since the fire at Lakanal House in 2013.

Alok Sharma: The Coroner’s report into the Lakanal House fire recommended that the fire safety guidance in Approved Document B be reviewed to provide clearer guidance. In February of this year, the Department published a report into the usability of the guidance. The Department has also been working on a revision of the guidance in Approved Document B in line with Plain English principles.The Government has asked Dame Judith Hackitt to lead an independent review of the Building Regulations and fire safety, and will determine what further action is needed in light of her recommendations.

Devolution: Cheshire

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to devolve powers to Cheshire and Warrington.

Jake Berry: This Government is making huge strides towards rebalancing the economy and empowering local government. Our priority over the last year has been to conclude the original devolution deals and see mayors established in city regions across the country. Where there is agreement between local partners, we would be happy to meet to discuss local ambitions to boost growth and productivity, and hope to be able to provide local areas with more clarity on how best to take forward these ambitions as Government sets out the next stages of its developing Industrial Strategy and our Framework for Devolution.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Office for Nuclear Regulation

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2017 to Question 108904, what estimate he has made of the level of funding required for the Office for Nuclear Regulation to set up a domestic civil nuclear safeguards regime.

Richard Harrington: Current estimates are as set out in the Explanatory Notes to the Nuclear Safeguards Bill introduced on 11 October 2017 (Bill 109) which are available in the Vote Office and also on the Parliamentary website. The relevant section is titled ‘Financial implications of the Bill’ (paragraph 49).

Nuclear Fusion: Research

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what budget has been allocated to research on nuclear fusion up to 29 March 2019.

Joseph Johnson: The UK’s publicly funded fusion research is led by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). UKAEA receives direct funding from the Euratom Research and Training Programme (£57.3 m in 2017/18 and £55.1 m in 2018/19) primarily for research carried out at the Joint European Torus (JET). UKAEA also receives grant funding for fusion research from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (£26.1m in 2017/18 and £27.0m in 2018/19). UKAEA also receives additional funding from the UK Government for specific projects which have been worth £5.4m so far in 2017/18. Firm allocations for the financial year 2018/19 and beyond have not yet been made. The UK is also a member of Fusion for Energy, the EU based partnership delivering its contribution to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, the next generation international fusion project in France. The EU expects to contribute €380m in 2018 and €427m in 2019 to ITER. The EU budget beyond 2020 is subject to agreement with EU member states. Information relating to private sector investment in fusion in the UK is not available.

Fracking: Ryedale

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109369, on what date officials met Third Energy to discuss its application for hydraulic fracturing consent for the KM8 wellsite in Ryedale, North Yorkshire; what the purpose of that meeting was; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Harrington: Officials periodically meet the shale gas industry (including Third Energy) to discuss progress; part of those discussions have included applications for hydraulic fracturing consent, which were framed around the Department’s guidance document on the matter[1]. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will respond appropriately to Third Energy’s application in due course.  [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/591631/Hydraulic_Fracturing_Consent_Guidance.pdf

Electricity Generation

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of generating units that have signed capacity agreements list their primary fuel type as diesel.

Richard Harrington: Since the most recent Capacity Auctions (Winter 2016/17), Capacity Market Units have been required to specify their primary fuel type.In both Winter 2016/17 auctions (the four-year-ahead (T-4) Auction and the Early Auction), Capacity Market Units identifying as ‘diesel’ accounted for just over 1% of the total capacity secured, but only a tiny fraction (55MW, 0.05%) were new projects.A further breakdown of this figure is outlined as such (all figures in this table have been rounded up or down to the nearest whole number): 2016/17 T-4 Auction2016/17 Early AuctionTotal capacity of generating units listed as diesel702 MW724 MWCapacity of new build diesel units20 MW35 MWCapacity of Open Cycle Gas Turbine units listed as diesel605 MW566 MWCapacity of Reciprocating engines listed as diesel89 MW78 MWCapacity of Demand Side Response listed as diesel8 MW23 MW Some Capacity Market Units specify their primary fuel type as ‘gas or diesel’ – these are not included in the above figures.

Energy: Prices

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent estimate his Department has made of the average spend on domestic energy bills by household Energy Performance Certificate rating in the last 12 months for which data is available; and if he will make a statement.

Margot James: The Department’s latest assessment of the cost of households’ energy requirements, split by their EPC rating, is contained within the Clean Growth Strategy:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/651916/BEIS_The_Clean_Growth_online_12.10.17.pdf (see page 73).To derive these costs, these estimates make standardised assumptions about the temperature a home is heated to, its hot water use and lighting patterns (these assumptions are consistent with those contained within EPCs). Households’ actual energy use may differ - for example where households heat their home to different levels, or use more or less hot water than assumed.

Energy: Profits

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate his Department has made of the amount of profit made by distribution network operators in the last 12 months.

Richard Harrington: According to Ofgem, the energy regulator, the forecasted Return on Regulatory Equity for electricity Distribution Network Operators across the sector is 9.03%, and this ranges between 7.26% and 11.5% for individual companies. These figures are an eight year average over the current price control (2015-2023). Further information is available at: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/02/riio-ed1_annual_report_2015-16.pdf

National Grid

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department had with National Grid plc on reducing the time its takes for new electricity generating infrastructure to be connected the grid.

Richard Harrington: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy meets with National Grid on a regular basis on a range of issues concerning the operation of the electricity networks, including in relation to connecting to the network. Since 2010, grid access reforms have reduced transmission connection times for new generation projects by an average of five years. These reforms are now a standard part of the grid connection arrangements in Great Britain.

Service Industries

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will make an assessment of the potential effect on (a) fair competition, (b) earnings and working conditions for workers and (c) labour market efficiency of mandating portability of reviews and ratings of service workers within sectors of the economy that are characterised by digital interfaces between customers and workers who provide services but who are not employed by the interface provider.

Margot James: The Government is now considering the Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices which discusses the issues you raise. Matthew Taylor’s report is comprehensive and detailed and we are giving the report the careful consideration it deserves and will respond in full later this year.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Social Media

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the letter of 15 September 2017 from the Investigatory Powers Commissioner's Office summarising the findings of the 2017 BPD Audit, what methods are used by GCHQ to collect data from social media services; and whether GCHQ collects metadata and content from social media services.

Sir Alan Duncan: It is the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on intelligence matters.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent meetings and discussions he has had with the Colombian Ambassador to the UK on how the UK can effectively support the peace process in Colombia.

Sir Alan Duncan: I last spoke to the Colombian Ambassador about the peace process on 17 October and underlined the UK's support for the peace process. To date, the Conflict Stability and Security Fund has provided almost £20 million in funding to projects supporting peace in Colombia. We have also contributed a larger amount on programmes that support peace indirectly, for example through environmental sustainability. The UK has also led UN Security Council action to monitor disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of the FARC, and now the ELN (National Liberation Army) ceasefire.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Brexit

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department was consulted by the Department for Exiting the European Union on the economic impact assessments conducted for the UK leaving the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working with officials across Government on Brexit issues, in close coordination with the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Burma: Arms Trade

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the potential merits of a UN-mandated global arms embargo against Burma.

Mark Field: We judge there is currently insufficient support across the UN Security Council for a resolution proposing a global arms embargo.We continue to support the EU's retention of its arms embargo, which prohibits the supply of equipment or the provision of any training that might strengthen the Burmese military's combat capability.Earlier this year the UK argued successfully for the continuation of the EU Arms Embargo for Burma and will continue to do so.

Malaysia: Corporal Punishment

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Malaysia on the introduction of public caning in that country.

Mark Field: ​As I set out in response to the question tabled by the Honourable Member on 13 September 2017 (PQ 9990); we are aware of the Private Member's Bill proposed by the PAS party in the Malaysian Parliament to expand the jurisdiction of Sharia courts in Malaysia to allow Islamic punishments (hudud) such as lashes. This Bill is unlikely to be implemented without protracted discussion and legal debate. We have a regular dialogue on human rights with the Malaysian Government. We will continue to monitor human rights issues and internal developments in Malaysia, raising our concerns as appropriate.

Burma: Peace Negotiations

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will make representations to the UN's Security Council on introducing a resolution that calls for an end to the military campaign and violence in Rakhine State and demands (a) immediate and unimpeded access for international humanitarian organisations to populations in need in Rakhine State, (b) immediate and unhindered access for international monitors and journalists to Rakhine State, (c) access by the UN mandated fact-finding mission to Myanmar to carry out its work unhindered, by providing visas to the members of the mission and full access for the mission to meet civilian and military officials and (d) the Myanmar authorities return all Rohingya refugees and displaced people to their homes and places of origin in Myanmar safely, voluntarily and with dignity.

Mark Field: We have raised Burma three times at the UN Security Council since 25 August. This has delivered a clear message from the international community that the Burmese authorities must urgently protect civilians, allow refugees to return and allow full humanitarian access. We are now discussing further Security Council action with fellow members.The UK is using all available channels to emphasise the urgent need for humanitarian organisations to be able to work safely in northern and central Rakhine and meet the immense needs on the ground. The Red Cross in Burma is currently the only aid organisation permitted to provide humanitarian support in northern Rakhine. The UK has provided £1 million to support its operation.We have been clear with the Burmese authorities there must now be unhindered access to Rakhine State for humanitarian organisations as well as UN observers and journalists. While we welcome recent access for media and diplomats to Rakhine State, we ​continue to urge the Burmese authorities and the military particularly to allow greater access.We have also been clear with the Burmese authorities that they should enable full access for the UN Fact Finding Mission. At the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in September, we supported the decision to extend to September 2018 the mandate of the Mission to look into serious human rights concerns in Rakhine. Along with international partners, we will continue to press the Burmese government to allow access for the Mission.The voluntary and safe return of refugees is a central part of the ongoing discussions we are engaged in at the UN Security Council. The Burmese and Bangladeshi authorities are discussing a refugee return process. We are pressing both governments to agree this quickly and ensure it will be implemented in a manner consistent with the UN principles of voluntary and safe return.

Iraq: Terrorism

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the comment by the Joint Minister of State for International Development and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Penrith and The Border, that in almost every case the only way to deal with British citizens who have been fighting in Iraq is to kill them was a statement of Government policy.

Alistair Burt: Government policy is clear. Nobody should be in any doubt about our determination to fight and defeat Daesh terrorists, regardless of nationality. My Rt Hon Friend, the Minister for Africa's comments are consistent with that determination.

Tanzania: Teenage Pregnancy

Will Quince: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Tanzania about reports that pregnant teenage women in that country will be allowed to study in state schools both during and after pregnancy.

Rory Stewart: The UK regards equal access for girls and women to all levels of education and training as a human right. Educating girls brings economic and social benefits. I raised our concerns about access to education and training for pregnant teenage women with the Government of Tanzania when I visited Dar es Salaam in August this year. I stressed the need to look at the root causes of the problem, such as lack of knowledge and access to sexual reproductive health and rights, sexual violence against girls and child marriage. Tanzanian law and policies promote and protect girls' rights to education notably through the Education Act, the Child Act and the Education and Training Policy.

Cabinet Office

Italy: Visits Abroad

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech in Florence of 22 September 2017 on the UK leaving the EU, what the costs were of (a) transport to Florence and back for the Prime Minister, other Ministers and officials, (b) accommodation for the Prime Minister, other Ministers and officials, (c) civil service staff time in arranging the logistics for that event and (d) contracts or arrangements with outside agencies in those logistics.

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech in Florence of 22 September 2017 on the UK leaving the EU, how many civil servants from which departments attended that event; where accommodation was for the Prime Minister, other Ministers and officials; and which outside contractors or agencies assisted with the logistics for that event.

Damian Green: Holding answer received on 31 October 2017



Information regarding the cost of Ministerial overseas travel is published on gov.uk on a quarterly basis. Costs for this trip will be made available through this process, in the usual way.

Public Sector: Cybercrime

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2017 to Question 108121, what discussions he has had with representatives of Deloitte on the reasons why information was only received in September 2017 given the cyber attack was discovered by that company in March 2017.

Damian Green: Deloitte notified the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of a cyber incident affecting their US operations in September 2017. The NCSC engaged with Deloitte to establish whether there were any UK impacts, and identify mitigation measures. While the NCSC advises organisations to report significant cyber incidents immediately, it is at the discretion of the company to choose if and when to do so. The Minister for the Cabinet Office did not have discussions with Deloitte representatives on this matter.

Cabinet Office: Department for Exiting the European Union

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the formal relationship is between himself and the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union is a colleague and fellow member of Cabinet.

Government Digital Service

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much of the £450 million awarded to the Government Digital Service in 2015 has been spent to date; and on what such funds have been spent.

Caroline Nokes: GDS spent £107.6m in the financial year 2016/17. Of this amount £78.4m was spent on its main programmes/platforms - GOV.UK, Verify, Government as a Platform (GaaP) and Common Technology Services (CTS). Interim figures for the first six months of the financial year 2017/18 show that GDS has spent £59.9m. Of this amount £38.3m has been spent on these previously referred to programmes/platforms.

Department for International Development

Syria: Females

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department plans to increase its investment in education for women and girls in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK continues to invest in education for women and girls affected by the crisis in Syria. We helped launch UNICEF’s No Lost Generation Initiative, which provides education, protection, and mental health support for children in Syria and neighbouring countries. In 2016/2017 alone, DFID helped provide over 350,000 children in Syria with access to formal primary education, half of whom were girls. In addition, over 80,000 children, including girls, were provided with access to non-formal education. DFID also helped to provide over 3,500 people in Syria with technical and vocational training, including women.

Developing Countries: Females

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent steps the Government has taken to support meeting the specific targets on (a) violence against women and girls, (b) female genital mutilation and (c) child and early forced marriage within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Rory Stewart: This government is proud of its global leadership on tackling violence against women and girls. Globally, one in three women have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime. We cannot and will not tolerate this.We are supporting the UN and national governments in the challenge to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls, including female genital mutilation (FGM) and child and early forced marriage (CEFM), across a range of interventions, including, but not limited to:The largest donor commitment ever to ending FGM, with a flagship regional programme of £35 million over five years, and an additional £12 million commitment in Sudan.Between 2016 and 2018 DFID is providing over £2 million through Amplify Change to 43 grassroots organisations tackling FGM across 16 countries in West Africa, the Sahel, Rift Valley, Horn of Africa and Middle East.DFID’s £25m world-leading research and innovation fund programme – What Works to Prevent Violence - is drawing together global experts to produce rigorous evidence on violence prevalence and test ways to stop it before it happens. This evidence will be a global public good, helping country governments, donors and civil society to get the most out of every penny spent on interventions.DFID has a large £39 million global programme supporting UNICEF/UNFPA to end CEFM in 12 priority countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Yemen, Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Niger, Burkina Faso and Ghana).

South Sudan: Peace Negotiations

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department is spending on dialogue-based peace building work in South Sudan in 2017-18; and what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of such work to date.

Rory Stewart: The UK Government is spending over £4 million in 2017-18 supporting a range of peace building interventions in South Sudan, which are designed to generate dialogue, resolve conflict, and build resilience to violence at both national and local levels. These programmes are funded through the Conflict, Security, and Stability Fund and are delivered and assessed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that humanitarian aid can reach civilians in (a) East Ghouta and (b) other besieged areas inside Syria.

Alistair Burt: DFID has supported the UN and international NGOs since the start of the Syrian conflict to deliver aid to hard-to-reach and besieged areas, including Eastern Ghouta. DFID’s humanitarian partners are on the ground in Eastern Ghouta providing life-saving healthcare, food, and protection, but humanitarian access remains severely constrained. We continue to use our position in the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group to press the regime and its backers to allow unfettered access so aid can reach those in desperate need, while maintaining the pressure for a political settlement to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end.

Burma: Humanitarian Aid

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that humanitarian organisations are granted access to Northern Rakhine state to deliver aid.

Alistair Burt: Access for humanitarian assistance in northern Rakhine is vital, and without it needswill not be met and lives will be lost. The UK has pressed for unfettered access directly with the Burmese government though ministerial and senior official calls and meetings, and as part of joint calls with other agencies and development partners working in Burma. The UK has also raised Burma three times at the UN Security Council. DFID has provided £1 million to the Burma Red Cross, which currently has limited access to Northern Rakhine. DFID is ready to support our partners already working in central Rakhine to act quickly to provide support in Northern Rakhine as soon as fuller access is granted.

Burma: Politics and Government

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the Myanmar Government is not using bureaucratic processes to block access of international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies to Central Rakhine state.

Alistair Burt: DFID and FCO officials continue to lobby for access to Rakhine at the highest levels of the Burma Government. We are closely monitoring impediments to humanitarian assistance in central Rakhine, where access to food and markets is severely limited for those in camp locations, and it is very difficult for international staff to move around. It is critical that protection, health and emergency referral services resume as quickly as possible.On 12 October, Burma State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi announced the Union Enterprise for Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement and Development in Rakhine (UE). We are pushing to get relief into Rakhine, safe and voluntary return of refugees and implementation of the Rakhine Advisory Commission’s recommendations. While the UE may be a practical mechanism to meet some needs, we continue to work with other development partners in Burma to press for international agencies to be allowed to work alongside it to provide the full range of humanitarian assistance and support that will be required. The UK has now raised Burma three times at the UN Security Council and we continue to press the government of Burma through all channels to allow immediate and full humanitarian access and support for the people and communities affected.

Department for Education

Apprentices: Greater London

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) intermediate level, (b) advanced level and (c) higher apprenticeship and starts there were in London in quarter four (i) 2015-16 and (ii) 2016-17 by age group.

Anne Milton: Apprenticeship starts in London are provided in the attached table for quarter 4 and the corresponding full year figures for 2015/16 and 2016/17. Care should be taken when comparing final data with provisional data, which will not be finalised until providers submit their final returns for the year. Final 2016/17 figures will be published on 23 November 2017. 



PQ109998 London apprenticeship starts
(Excel SpreadSheet, 23.9 KB)

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many sibling groups have been adopted in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Adoption Leadership Board (ALB) quarterly survey shows the number of children who were part of a sibling group who were adopted from care in England from 2013-14. The reports are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/adoption-system-performance.Table 1: The number of children who were part of a sibling group who were adopted, in England Number of children who were part of a sibling group who were adopted, in England2013-141,8702014-151,9302015-161,710Source: ALB quarterly surveyThe latest quarterly data shows that there were 870 children who were part of a sibling group who were adopted in the first two quarters of 2016-17.We do not hold information prior to 2013-14, or on the actual number of sibling groups.

Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many registered foster carers there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, to write to my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) with the information requested.

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people have been approved as adopters in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The Adoption Leadership Board (ALB) quarterly survey shows the number of approvals of adoptive families by local councils and voluntary adoption agencies in England from quarter 4 2013-14. The reports are published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/adoption-system-performance.Table 1: The number of adoptive families who were approved for adoption, in England Number of adoptive families who were approved for adoption, in EnglandQ4 2013-141,3902014-155,2602015-163,610Source: ALB quarterly surveyThe latest quarterly data shows that there were 1,410 adoptive families approved in the first two quarters of 2016-17.This refers to adoptive families rather than people as these are the groups of people available to adopt a child. We do not hold information prior to quarter 4 2013-14.Figures for the number of approved adoptive families at 31 March 2013 and 2014 can be found in the Ofsted adoption publications here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/childrens-social-care-statistics.

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have been placed for adoption in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The number of children who were placed for adoption on 31 March in each of the last 10 years is shown in the table which can be accessed from the link below.Figures are published in table A2 of the statistical release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.

Adoption

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many adoptions have broken down in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: I am sorry, but the department does not collect data on adoption breakdowns.Information on children who started to be looked after and previously had permanent arrangement was collected for the first time in 2014. These figures are published in table C1 of the statistical release Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.Beyond the Adoption Order published in 2014, found that over a 12-year period the national adoption disruption rate was 3.2%, indicating that 3 in 100 adoptions was disrupted over a 12-year period.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish all correspondence on the 30 hours free childcare policy which she has had with Suffolk Country Council in the last six months.

Mr Robert Goodwill: My Rt hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no correspondence with Suffolk County Council on the 30 hours free childcare policy in the past six months.

Pupil Premium

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which pupils whose parents claim universal credit count towards a school's pupil premium; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which categories claimants of universal credit are entitled to claim free school meals for their children; and whether she plans to review that entitlement.

Mr Robert Goodwill: All pupils whose parents are in receipt of universal credit (UC) are currently entitled to free school meals (FSM). This is an interim arrangement during the initial roll-out of UC. All pupils registered for FSM attract pupil premium. The Department for Education is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, other Government departments and other interested parties to establish criteria for determining entitlement to benefits-related FSM as the roll-out progresses. No decision has been taken yet, and our proposals on this matter will be announced in due course.

Wakefield City Academies Trust

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what the £530,000 from her Department given to Wakefield City Academy Trust as part of the Northern Powerhouse project in 2015 has been spent.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The purpose of the Northern Fund, which was announced in December 2014, was to support the expansion of effective academy chains to drive up educational standards across the North (the North, Lancashire and West Yorkshire, and East Midlands and Humber). In 2015, £527,464 was awarded to Wakefield City Academies Trust through this fund to enable the Trust to expand into the Bradford region.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109339, on children: day care, what the timetable is for publication of the independent evaluation.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The department will carry out an independent evaluation of 30 hours’ free childcare during the first two terms of national rollout. We currently have an invitation to tender issued which will close on Thursday 2 November. We will review the bids and appoint an independent contractor to undertake the year one evaluation of 30 hours before the end of the year. Following a scoping exercise the planned timetable for publication of the evaluation will be: Research fieldwork: January – May 2018Report publication: by 1 September 2018.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2017 to Question 109407, on children: day care, which local authorities received funding; and how many projects were awarded that funding.

Mr Robert Goodwill: The funding was allocated to over 350 projects in 123 local authorities (LA) in January 2017 and March 2017. The successful projects by LA were published here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-capital-fund-2017.

Science: Teachers

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) government and (b) other schemes in recruiting science teachers in secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department commissioned an evaluation of four targeted interventions to increase the supply of maths and physics teachers and upskill existing teachers, which were delivered for the first time to participants in 2015/16. The full findings from this research were published at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maths-and-physics-teacher-supply-package. Recruitment in Science, technology, engineering, and maths subjects has historically been challenging but in 2016/17 (the last year for which we have data) we had the highest number of trainees in science and maths since 2011/12. We review our recruitment strategies every year and will continue to evaluate options on how best to incentivise recruitment to the profession. Analysis of past recruitment shows that increasing bursaries in subjects that are difficult to recruit to has a positive influence on recruitment performance.

Young People: Disadvantaged

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress has been madeon targeting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to further their education in the last 10 years .

Mr Robert Goodwill: Educational achievement is at the heart of our commitment to making this a country where everyone has a fair chance to go as far as their talent and hard work will take them. Thanks to our reforms, there are 1.8 million more children in schools rated good or outstanding than in 2010. We recognise that young people from disadvantaged backgrounds - defined as those currently or formerly in receipt of free school meals and currently or formerly looked after - may face extra barriers to achieving their potential. This is why we introduced the pupil premium in 2011 and have invested over £11bn - almost £2.5bn this year alone – so that schools can provide extra support to disadvantaged pupils of all abilities. We created the early years pupil premium in 2015 so disadvantaged children are better prepared for school and, beyond school, the independent Director of Fair Access has agreed access agreements for 2018/19 which will see universities plan to spend more than £860 million - significantly more than the £404 million in 2009 - on measures to continue to improve access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has decreased at both age 11 and age 16 since 2011. This means better prospects for disadvantaged pupils and a more prosperous life as an adult. But we know there is more to do. Our £72 million opportunity areas programme will create opportunities for young people in social mobility ‘cold spots’ and share effective practice across the country to ensure all young people can access the opportunities they deserve. In addition, the Education Endowment Foundation, which we established with a £137 million grant in 2011, is working in hundreds of schools to expand the evidence of what works best to accelerate progress.

Pupils: Health

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's guidance, entitled Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions, published in December 2015, what the scope and timetable for the planned review of that guidance will be.

Mr Robert Goodwill: We know how important it is that children with medical conditions are supported to enjoy a full education. That is why we introduced the duty to require governing bodies to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions and have provided statutory guidance outlining schools’ responsibilities in this area. We keep the statutory guidance under review and will ensure that it continues to set out the arrangements that governing boards are expected to make to support pupils with medical conditions, based on good practice.

Ministry of Justice

Legal Aid Scheme: Grenfell Tower

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of the Grenfell Tower fire have (a) applied for and (b) been granted legal aid.

Dominic Raab: There have been 6 applications for emergency legal aid from solicitors acting for victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, which are currently under review. Most advice and assistance will have been provided via Legal Help (another form of legal aid) which is self-granted by solicitors. These matters are only reported to the LAA once they are closed.

Prisons: Education

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2017 to Question 106123, if he will hold discussions with the Chair of the Sentencing Council on linking the length of custodial sentences to the acquisition of specified skills in prison.

Dominic Raab: The Secretary of State will shortly meet the Chairman of the Sentencing Council. An agenda has not yet been agreed but discussions will cover many aspects of custodial and non-custodial sentencing and guidelines.

Legal Aid Agency

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total cost incurred by the Legal Aid Agency is in means testing applications for grants of exceptional funding in respect to representation at inquests before Coroners' Courts in each year since 2013.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much the Legal Aid Agency paid to providers through grants of exceptional funding for representation at inquests before Coroners' Courts in each year since 2013.

Dominic Raab: Expenditure on civil representation at inquests, for cases completing 2013-present:Financial YearClosed Cases Spend (£'000s)2013-201443 2014-2015239 2015-2016597 2016-2017924 Apr-Jun 2017231  An assessment of means ensures that legal aid is targeted at those who need it most. The Legal Aid Agency does not track the cost of processing individual applications due to the complexity and additional costs this would incur.

Prisons: North Wales

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which prisons women who (a) gave a North Wales address and (b) were sentenced by a North Wales Court were held in each year since 2010.

Dr Phillip Lee: The following table shows the number and location of female prisoners who have a reported home address in North Wales1, in each September since 2010.Prison20102011201220132014201520162017Askham Grange under 5under 5 under 5 under 5under 5Bronzefieldunder 5under 5  Downview  under 5 Drake Hallunder 5under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5East Sutton Parkunder 5   Eastwood Park under 5  Foston Hall under 5under 5 under 5   Low Newtonunder 5under 5under 5under 5Morton Hallunder 5   New Hallunder 5 under 5under 5under 5under 5 under 5Peterborough (Female)under 5under 5  Styal5under 513129132722Total118201421223628The following table shows the number and location of female prisoners sentenced at a court in North Wales2, in each September since 2010.Prison20102011201220132014201520162017Askham Grange under 5under 5 under 5 under 5 Bronzefield   under 5under 5under 5under 5 Downviewunder 5 under 5 Drake Hall6under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5 East Sutton Park under 5under 5under 5under 5   Eastwood Park  under 5under 5 under 5under 5under 5Foston Hall under 5under 5under 5under 5   Low Newton under 5 under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5Morton Hallunder 5   New Hallunder 5under 5under 5under 5under 5under 5 under 5Peterborough (Female)under 5under 5 under 5under 5   Styal2418273020314237Total37263640394354421 North Wales has been defined as having a reported address within the local authorities of: Anglesey; Conwy; Denbighshire; Flintshire; Gwynedd; and Wrexham.2 North Wales has been defined as any court within the North Wales Police authority area. If a request is made for information and the total figure amounts to five people or fewer, the MoJ must consider whether this could lead to the identification of individuals and whether disclosure of this information would be in breach of our statutory obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). We believe that the release of some of this information would risk identification of the individuals concerned. For this reason, MoJ has chosen not to provide an exact figure where the true number falls between one and five. However, it should not be assumed that the actual figure represented falls at any particular point within this scale; '≤5' is used as a replacement value from which it would be difficult to isolate or extract any individual data. It is important to stress that it is not possible to infer from an address in Wales that an individual considers themselves Welsh. HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) cannot identify English and Welsh prisoners. Someone with an address, for example in London, may well consider themselves to be Welsh, while someone with an address in Wales may not. UK nationals have a nationality of British. Therefore the data shown are not necessarily representative of those who identify as English or Welsh. The results are sorted by origin address (home address on reception into custody) and not nationality. English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish are not captured on our database as separate nationalities. Around 97% of prisoners have an origin location - i.e. addresses that are recorded in our central IT system. If no address is given, an offender’s committal court address is used as a proxy for the area in which they are resident. This information is included in the data provided in the tables above. Those with no recorded origin are typically foreign nationals or those recently received into custody. No address has been recorded and no court information is available for around 3% of all offenders; these figures are excluded from the tables attached. The numerical information provided has been drawn from administrative IT systems, which as with any large scale recording system are subject to possible error with data entry and processing. Further guidance on the considerations for processing a request under FOIA, can be found by following the links: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/contents and http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foi-step-by-step.htm

Eastwood Park Prison: Mother and Baby Units

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the mother and baby unit at Eastwood Park Prison remains out of commission; and when the repair to that unit will be completed.

Dr Phillip Lee: A full refurbishment of the mother and baby unit at Eastwood Park, is scheduled to start in December 2017, with the project plan suggesting it will take 12 weeks to complete before re-opening. This unit has been out of use since it was flooded due to a burst pipe in October 2016.While the MBU at Eastwood Park remains out of use, any women at the prison whose application for a place on the unit is accepted can be accommodated in one of the other five MBUs within the women’s prison estate.We are committed to doing all we can to address the issues around female offending so we can better protect the public and deliver more effective rehabilitation.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that all new prisons will have adequate accommodation for the provision of mental health services.

Dr Phillip Lee: Our prison estate reforms will benefit prisoners with mental health concerns through replacing up to 10,000 old and unsuitable places with modern and fit for purpose ones and through reconfiguration. This includes pushing ahead with plans to close or redevelop older prisons and open new accommodation in this parliament.This will help deliver prisons that are safer and more secure, so our staff can work more closely with offenders to change their lives and turn their back on crime for good.My Department has taken expert advice from clinicians, commissioners and social care experts on the design of the new prisons to ensure that we create the right environment for treatment and care. We continue to work closely with our health partners to support the commissioning of high quality services in all prisons.

Mental Health Services: Medical Records

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to enable the mutual sharing of prison and NHS mental health records between those two organisations.

Dr Phillip Lee: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service does not hold clinical mental health records for prisoners. All clinical records, including on mental health are held by NHS providers. Information on individuals is shared between health providers and prison staff to promote safety and to protect life. I am please that NHS England is taking steps to improve the sharing of clinical records between custodial and community settings.

Prisons: Mental Health Services

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners wait longer than the 14 day target for transfer to a secure hospital.

Dr Phillip Lee: About 24% of prisoners transferred from prison to hospital since 2016, under sections 47 and 48 of the Mental Health Act 1983, waited longer than 14 days from the date the Ministry of Justice received two medical assessments indicating transfer was appropriate to the actual date of admission to hospital. The Ministry of Justice has a target of 24 hours within which to provide a transfer warrant, once both medical reports and all other relevant information is received. This target is met in 95% of cases. These figures have been derived from an administrative IT system which, as with any large scale recording system, is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. This figure may not agree with similar figures provided through NHS England since NHS England calculates waiting times from different transfer pathway stages. MoJ are working closely with NHS England to improve our joint understanding of measurement of waiting times. We take the mental health of prisoners extremely seriously, which is why we have increased the support available to vulnerable offenders – especially during the first 24 hours in custody – and invested more in mental health awareness training for prison officers. But we recognise that more can be done and continue to work in partnership with HMPPS, NHS England and Public Health England to improve mental health services for offenders at all points of the criminal justice system.

Court Orders

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government has taken to create a national process to co-ordinate the collection and dissemination of all forced marriage protection orders and female genital mutilation protection orders.

Dr Phillip Lee: We are aware that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has recommended the creation of such a process. Officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office FGM Unit are working with the Police to consider how best to respond.

Young Offenders: Speech and Language Disorders

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of young offenders in young offenders institutes have speech, language and communications difficulties; what proportion of such offenders are receiving support services; and what proportion of those not receiving such support services are in a waiting list to receive them.

Dr Phillip Lee: There are high numbers of young people with special educational needs including speech, language and communication needs in youth custody. Data collected to inform the custody placement decision for young people shows that 32% were recorded as having ‘learning disability or difficulty concerns’ between April 2014 and March 2016. Both health and education partners fulfil key roles in meeting the needs of young people with speech language and communication needs but we do not collect assessment data centrally. NHS England screen and assess every child and young person that enters the secure estate using the Comprehensive Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) that assesses any neurodisabilities. Following this assessment individual care plans for all children and young people are put in place. Education providers are also required to assess the educational needs of young people and their contracts require them to provide support services for young people with special educational needs or disabilities. We are committed to strengthening health services and special needs support as part of youth justice reforms. Reforms include implementing the NHS-led Secure Stairs project, an integrated framework of care for the Secure Estate for Children and Young People and investing in Enhanced Support Units, smaller units to provide specialist interventions, mental health and psychological support, in under-18 YOIs.

Legal Aid Scheme: Domestic Violence

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the Government to change the criteria for eligibility for legal aid for victims of domestic violence as a result of the High Court ruling of February 2016.

Dominic Raab: It is vital that victims of domestic violence have access to the help and support they need. Legal aid is available to domestic violence victims with private family law problems where requirements are met and was granted in over 12,000 cases last year. We are considering the findings of a recent internal review of the evidence requirements and will be making an announcement shortly.

Emergency Services: Crimes of Violence

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the maximum available sentences in cases which staff in the emergency services are assaulted which transporting patients to hospital.

Dominic Raab: The hon. Member for Rhondda’s (Mr Chris Bryant) Private Members’ Bill, Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences), creates a new offence of assault against an emergency worker with a maximum penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment. This is higher than the maximum penalty for the offence of common assault which is 6 months. The definition of emergency workers includes paramedics and those providing ambulance services.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Brexit

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department was consulted by the Department for Exiting the European Union on the economic impact assessments conducted for the UK leaving the EU.

Mark Lancaster: The Government is carrying out an ongoing programme of comprehensive analytical work that will inform our negotiating position with the EU, to define our deep and special partnership with the EU and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK's domestic policies and frameworks. The Ministry of Defence is working with officials across Government, in close coordination with the Department for Exiting the European Union, to ensure the delivery of a holistic programme of analysis.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is the Government's policy to purchase 138 F35 aircraft.

Harriett Baldwin: As set out in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, the UK is intending to procure 138 F-35 aircraft over the life of the programme.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what financial assumptions his Department has made on the cost of (a) spare parts, (b) software upgrades and (c) logistics support for the F-35 programme; and whether those costs are borne by his Department or the supplier for that programme.

Harriett Baldwin: The costs of F-35 spares, software upgrades, and logistic support are included within the Department's financial planning assumptions for the F-35 programme. The F-35 Joint Program Office procures all of these elements on behalf the F-35 Partner Nations.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the unit cost is of the Generation III helmets being procured for pilots of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.

Harriett Baldwin: The latest contract price is $241,579 per Generation III helmet.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to manage exposure to foreign currency fluctuations as part of his Department's F-35 programme.

Harriett Baldwin: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) centrally manages the impact of variations in foreign exchange rates as part of the routine financial management of the defence programme. The foreign currency arrangements in place will limit any impact from the current foreign exchange position and any further considerations will be dealt with as part of the MOD's annual planning cycle.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure that software bugs identified in the Autonomic Logistics Information System on the F-35 aircraft are remedied.

Harriett Baldwin: The F-35 Joint Program Office is managing the procurement of the Automomic logistics Information System (ALIS) on behalf of the F-35 Partner Nations. The ALIS system is still within its development test phase and any software issues that are discovered are rectified as part of the development process.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with (a) their counterparts in the US Administration or (b) representatives of Lockheed Martin on production targets for the F35 variants falling behind schedule.

Harriett Baldwin: The Department is in regular discussions with the US Government-led F-35 Joint Program Office, which manages the programme on behalf of the F-35 Partner Nations, and with Lockheed Martin, the aircraft production integrator, to ensure contracted production targets are met.

Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent discussions officials of his Department have had with (a) their counterparts in the US Administration or (b) representatives of Lockheed Martin on cost reduction targets for the UK F35 variants in production batches 12, 13 and 14.

Harriett Baldwin: The F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) procures F-35 aircraft on behalf of all the F-35 Partner Nations. All of the aircraft to be procured in production lots 12, 13 and 14 are currently in the costing and negotiation phase. Our expectation is to see cost reduction with each successive production lot. Cost reduction targets are not released in advance as to do so could undermine the JPO's negotiations with industry.

Warships

Richard Drax: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the future is of HMS Ocean and HMS Bulwark; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 16 October 2017 to Question 106955 to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard).



106955 - Warships Decommissioning
(Word Document, 14.03 KB)

Royal Military Academy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK Officer Cadets completed their Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each course since the start of 2015.

Mark Lancaster: The number of UK Officer Cadets who commissioned from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst since 1 January 2015 is shown below: Date Course FinishedNumber of Regular Officers Commissioned*April 2015160August 2015170December 2015140April 2016170August 2016180December 2016150April 2017160August 2017200 *Figures have been rounded to five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.

Royal Military Academy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many training places were taken up in the September 2017 Commissioning Course at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Mark Lancaster: 220 officer cadets entered the September 2017 commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.Figures have been rounded to five to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users.

Royal Military Academy

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the assessed Army intake requirement for Officers in each of the Commissioning Course periods for the last three years at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 July 2017 to Question 1968, and my subsequent letter of 17 July 2017; which set out the Commissioning Course capacity and uptake. Official statistics for regular officer recruitment targets are not produced.



1968 - WQnA extract on Army Training
(Word Document, 14.63 KB)




Follow up letter on Army Training
(PDF Document, 113.95 KB)

Army: Training

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the total number of (a) available regular training places and (b) places that have been filled at (i) ITC Catterick, (ii) ATC Pirbright, (iii) ATC Winchester, (iv) ATC Harrogate and (v) Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in each of the last six months, broken down by course.

Mark Lancaster: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 July 2017 to Question 1968 and my subsequent letter of 17 July 2017. The numbers of the available regular training places and places that have been filled since June 2017 are shown below. Course capacity is planned at the beginning of the year to meet the Army requirement and takes into consideration the regular intake requirement, training wastage, compliance with instructor to student ratio, separate sex courses and the management margin. The total number of initial training places identified does not therefore represent the Army intake requirement for Regular officers or soldiers. Regular Soldier Catterick Common Infantry Course StandardMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled July 20179635  14970 August 201797100 September 201710180  9770 October 2017149100  9750 Catterick Common Infantry Course GuardsMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled July 20174820 August 20174825 September 20174835 October 20174820 Catterick Common Infantry Course ParaMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled September 20175250 Standard Entry PirbrightMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled July 2017144110  9645  5020  10065 August 20173520  10275  148135  4630  9785 September 2017148125  4220  10380 October 20175040  9990  4835  9685  9880  9795  4720  5245 Standard Entry WinchesterMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled July 20174025  8050 Junior Entry Short Course HarrogateMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled September 20174845  285225 October 201735 Junior Entry Long Course HarrogateMonthTotal Training PlacesTotal Filled October 20174850  616580  85Regular OfficerRoyal Military Academy SandhurstRegular Officer Start of Course UK Officer Total Training PlacesTotal FilledMay 2017208210September 2017212215 For officer training, the capacity of each course is 270, but this will include a variable number of overseas officer cadets. Data in the tables have been taken from information used to manage the loading of courses. They are single service estimates which have not been validated and have not been subject to the same level of quality checks as official defence statistics. Figures have been rounded to 5 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality. Rounding is necessary, as a means of disclosure control and the preservation of anonymity; it also improves the clarity of output and conveys an appropriate level of precision to users. 



1968 - WQnA extract on Army Training
(Word Document, 14.63 KB)




Follow up letter on Army Training
(PDF Document, 113.95 KB)

Navy: Drugs

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will review guidelines on the recruitment and training of naval officers in light of positive drug tests aboard HMS Vigilant.

Mark Lancaster: The Naval Service already has a zero tolerance approach regarding the use of any illegal substances, and all personnel are subject to random compulsory drug testing. This policy of no tolerance is reiterated during the recruitment process and throughout the training and career of all Naval Service personnel.All Naval Service personnel are mandated to attend the Substance Misuse presentation during New Entry training and thereafter at yearly intervals. Once personnel reach the age of 30, this presentation is delivered at three yearly intervals. They also receive updates during Divisional meetings which are held at least three times a year.Additionally, a Management of Alcohol and Substance Misuse presentation is delivered to all Leadership courses in order to increase the awareness and education of our future managers and leaders.

Navy: Drugs

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to deal with reports of HMS Vigilant crew members testing positive for class A drugs.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Ministry of Defence and the Naval Service have a very robust anti-drugs policy and will not tolerate the misuse of drugs by Service personnel. The nine members of HMS VIGILANT's ship's company who tested positive for illegal drugs have been discharged from the Naval Service.In addition, the Royal Navy is to conduct increased Compulsory Drug Testing of the Submarine Flotilla.

Navy: Drunkenness

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps were taken on on-duty consumption of alcohol by naval officers following the fatal shooting of a crew member aboard HMS Astute in 2011.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: All Service personnel are expected to be fit to perform their normal professional duties at all times, including any specific safety critical duties.Duty personnel are not permitted to drink while on duty and there are stringent guidelines on the amounts of alcohol that personnel can consume in the 24 hours preceding their duty. These are that no more than five units of alcohol are to be consumed within the 24 hours prior to assuming a duty, with no alcohol to be consumed in the 10 hours prior to assuming a duty.Additionally, the Armed Forces Act 2011 has provided the Statutory Instruction to permit alcohol testing of Service personnel, using Home Office approved breathalysers, who are carrying out or are due to carry out any safety critical duties as defined by the Act where 'reasonable cause' exists.

Department for Work and Pensions

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants in (a) Barnsley and (b) the UK who were awarded employment and support allowance for under (i) one year, (ii) two years and (c) five years were re-assessed before the award expired.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants in (a) Barnsley and (b) the UK who were awarded a personal independence payment for under (i) one year, (ii) two years and (c) five years were re-assessed before the award expired.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of universal credit did not receive the full payment within 10 weeks of submitting a claim.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new claimants of universal credit did not receive the full payment within 10 weeks of submitting a claim.

Damian Hinds: The latest available data is for new claims to UC Full Service that are due a payment in the week from 14 August 2017. For this group of claims, we find that 95% - 97% receive full payment ‘within 10 weeks of submitting a claim’. These results may be revised as further data becomes available.

Universal Credit: Midlothian

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people claiming universal credit in Midlothian constituency have contacted the universal credit helpline (a) by landline, (b) by mobile phone and (c) at a local jobcentre.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is not available.

Universal Credit: Vale of Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people on benefits in the Vale of Clwyd who will be transferred to universal credit in (a) the next four months and (b) each year until 2022.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is not available.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Weston-Super-Mare, of 11 August 2017, on behalf of Somerset Savings & Loans on the Credit Union Expansion Project.

Guy Opperman: I responded to your letter on 30 October. As explained in the reply there have been good reasons for the delay.

Employment and Support Allowance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was between an employment and support allowance claim application and a first payment being made (a) nationally and (b) in Sunderland Central constituency in the last 12 months.

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time was between an employment support allowance claim application and a decision being made on that claim, (a) nationality and (b) in Sunderland Central constituency in the last 12 months.

Penny Mordaunt: The latest available information on national Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) clearance times can be found in Table 18 of the ESA Outcomes of Work Capability Assessments quarterly statistics published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/employment-and-support-allowance-outcomes-of-work-capability-assessment This information is not readily available at constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to assist universal credit claimants who are (a) illiterate or (b) innumerate.

Damian Hinds: Support is available to claimants to help them make the transition to Universal Credit. Universal Support is help for those who need assistance to manage their claim online and/or help with budgeting in order to manage their monthly payments and prioritise essential bills such as rent and utilities. Where claimants have no capability to make or manage their claim on-line, telephone and face to face support is available. Alternatively, an Appointee could make the claim on their behalf and maintain their online account. We are continuously reviewing and improving the service for vulnerable people who claim UC, including how they are identified and supported both internally and via referral to local services delivered in partnership activity with other relevant agencies and organisations. Identifying skills needs (sometimes called skills screenings) is an integral part of work coach meetings with claimants. This process involves observation and discussion to gather evidence on skills, qualifications, previous training and work history. The information gathered determines whether the claimant has any potential skills gaps in relation to their individual job goals and jobs readily available in the local labour market. Where further investigation is needed for potential basic skills needs (English/maths/ICT) claimants can be asked to complete the paper-based Fast Track Screening Tool. The tool is a short series of questions completed by the claimant and marked by the work coach to indicate potential basic skills needs. Where a potential skills need is identified, the claimant can then be referred to an initial assessment with a learning provider (DfE funded through the Adult Education Budget) to confirm their skill level or alternatively referred for a more detailed assessment with the National Careers Service or equivalent in Scotland and Wales. Work Coaches use the evidence gathered through the initial screening and subsequent provider assessment to decide what remedial training or other action is required to help the claimant find work.

Department for Work and Pensions: Telephone Services

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time was for answering telephone calls for each category of claim handled by (a) jobcentres in Wales and (b) his Department's agencies in each year for which figures are available.

Caroline Dinenage: a) The information is not readily available and can only be provided at disproportionate costs b) The average speed of answer for each of the claim lines in the Department’s agencies for the last year (April 16 to March 17) is shown in the table below. Claim lines in the Department’s agenciesAverage Speed of Answer (ASA)Employment Support Allowance00:06:14Jobseekers Allowance00:02:42Income Support00:04:34Personal Independence Payment00:04:06Special Rules for Terminally Ill00:01:36Universal Credit Full Service00:07:26Universal Credit Live Service00:03:08State Pension and Pension Credit (combined)00:01:46Carers Allowance00:02:34Attendance Allowance (including Disability Living Allowance for aged 65+)00:01:11

Universal Credit: Vale of Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of new claimants of universal credit his Department will process in the Vale of Clwyd in (a) the next four months and (b) each year until 2022.

Damian Hinds: The requested information is not available.

Social Security Benefits: Vale of Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in the Vale of Clwyd were receiving (a) employment and support allowance, (b) jobseeker's allowance, (c) housing benefit, (d) income support and (e) tax credits in each of the last five years.

Penny Mordaunt: The information requested for Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support is published and available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp The information requested for Housing Benefit is published and available at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk Guidance for users is available at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.htmlThe responsibility for Tax Credits lies with HM Revenue & Customs.

Universal Credit: Midlothian

Danielle Rowley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether assessments have been carried out in Midlothian constituency to analyse the roll-out of universal credit.

Damian Hinds: We have made no assessment in Midlothian specifically, however we continue to evaluate progress as we roll out the full Universal Credit service nationally, in a careful and co-ordinated way, reviewing against key measures, to ensure safe and secure delivery.

State Retirement Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many state pension payments have been delayed in the last 12 months for more than (a) one, (b) two and (c) three months.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) interprets this question as relating to State Pension claims. DWP does not retain information about the amount of State Pension payments which have been delayed in the last 12 months for more than (a) one, (b) two and (c) three months. DWP is not able to ascertain whether a State Pension payment has been delayed as this is dependant on a number of factors, such as the date of entitlement, date when the customer requests payment to be made and whether a customer has put off (deferred) making their claim.

State Retirement Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many state pension payments have been delayed in the last 12 months.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) interprets this question as relating to State Pension claims. DWP does not retain information about the amount of State Pension payments which have been delayed in the last 12 months. DWP is not able to ascertain whether a State Pension payment has been delayed as this is dependant on a number of factors, such as the date of entitlement, date when the customer requests payment to be made and whether a customer has put off (deferred) making their claim.

State Retirement Pensions

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average waiting time is for calls made to the state pension helpline.

Guy Opperman: The Average Speed of Answer for the Pensions Helpline was 1 minute and 28 seconds in September 2017.

Social Security Benefits: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) personal independence payment and (b) employment and support allowance appeals in Ashfield constituency resulted in decisions to reject applications being overturned in the last 12 months for which data is available.

Penny Mordaunt: (a) In the last 12 months in the Ashfield constituency the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims initially disallowed, where this decision was upheld at mandatory reconsideration (MR), and where the decision was changed at appeal is 30. This figure represents 50% of outcomes of appeals against decisions where the claim was initially disallowed and this was upheld at MR. This figure also represents 4% of all disallowed claims in the Ashfield constituency in this time. Over the same time period, 560 PIP awards were made. Period covered: August 2016 – July 2017 (latest available data). (b) The information for Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is not readily available and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the mitigations to the administration of universal credit negotiated by the former Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland.

Damian Hinds: Universal Credit payments are designed to mirror the world of work, with monthly payments reflecting the way many working people are paid. We believe that the UC model of monthly paid and claimants taking responsibility for budgeting their own income is the most effective way of getting people back to work. Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) already exist in Universal Credit to help claimants who have difficulty with monthly budgeting to pay their rent or receive their payments more frequently. These are delivered in conjunction with DWP staff who maintain an on-going conversation with claimants about their financial capability and will refer them for personal budgeting support with the goal of preventing the need for an APA or removing it once in place to ensure financial independence is achieved. Research shows that APA are effective and well-targeted, and over time people are able to manage their monthly budget and clear any arrears. While we believe that neither the Northern Ireland model (where, by default, claimants are given more frequent payments and their rent paid direct to landlords and have to opt out), nor the Scotland model (where the implementation of Scottish flexibilities is wholly the claimant’s choice and does not require a DWP decision), are the most effective models to deliver the change intended by Welfare Reform or to deliver the employment outcomes and economic benefits promised by Universal Credit, we are working, with the Devolved Administrations to constructively and positively enact these variations in the spirit of the devolution arrangements.

Television: Licensing

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost to the public purse was of providing free television licences to people over the age of 75 in (a) 2015-16 and (b) 2016-17 for qualifying residents in (i) Glasgow South West constituency, (ii) Glasgow City Local Authority Area and (iii) Scotland.

Guy Opperman: The table below provides estimates of the costs of providing free TV licences to people over the age of 75 for the years and the geographical areas requested, in nominal prices.  Expenditure (£m) 2015-162016-17(i) Glasgow South West constituency£0.6£0.7(ii) Glasgow City local authority£4.0£4.0(iii) Scotland£49.8£50.5

Universal Credit: Glasgow South West

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the longest number of days a universal credit claimant in Glasgow south west has had to want before receiving the initial payment.

Damian Hinds: There are no data broken down by area or region. Data published on 2 October 2017 show that, nationally, 81% of new full service claims received their first payment in full and on time. Across the whole of Universal Credit 92% of all households received full payment on time. The published data can be found here.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-payment-timeliness-january-to-june-2017

Universal Credit: Glasgow

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with housing associations in (a) Glasgow South West constituency and (b) Glasgow on access to information those associations from the Landlord Portal for Universal Credit claimants; and if he will make a statement.

Damian Hinds: We have enrolled large national landlords some of whom may have housing stock in Glasgow. The approach for expansion of the Landlord Portal is to add the 50 largest stock owning Social Registered Sector landlords to the Portal in October, November and December. This will be in line with the Full Service roll out dates wherever possible. Universal Credit Account Managers contact Social Landlords 4 weeks prior to the start of each month’s expansion. This advises landlords of any information required, support available during enrolment and assistance using the portal. So far, Universal Credit has enrolled a number of Scottish landlords, however none of whom appear to have a direct link to the Glasgow area the closest would be South Lanarkshire.

Children: Maintenance

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many child support agency (a) arrears-only cases and (b) arrears cases involving a current liability for a child there are currently in Glasgow South West constituency.

Caroline Dinenage: a) As at June 2017, there were 1,460 arrears only cases in the Glasgow South West constituency held by the Child Support Agency. b) As at June 2017, there were 130 arrears cases involving a current liability in the Glasgow South West constituency held by the Child Support Agency.

Children: Maintenance

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) parents with care and (b) non-resident parents with a child support agency case there were in the Glasgow South West constituency in the latest period for which figures were available.

Caroline Dinenage: a) As at June 2017 there were 1,560 parents with care with a Child Support Agency case in the Glasgow South West constituency. b) As at June 2017 there were 1,460 non-resident parents with a Child Support Agency case in the Glasgow South West constituency.

Housing Benefit: Glasgow South West

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with disabilities in Glasgow South West constituency had a deduction made from their benefits due to the removal of the spare room subsidy in the latest period for which figures were available.

Caroline Dinenage: As of May 2017, there were 2,080 households in Glasgow East constituency who had a deduction made from their Housing Benefit due to the removal of the spare room subsidy. Of these, there were 1,540 where the claimant or partner was receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The Government has provided easements to allow an additional bedroom for couples and children who are unable to share a bedroom due to their disability, or where a non-resident overnight carer (or group of carers) is required for an adult, child or non-dependant adult. From 2011 the Government has provided around £900 million to date to local authorities to help support vulnerable people affected by different welfare reforms. This includes £25 million per year to support disabled people living in significantly adapted accommodation, including any adaptations made for disabled children.

Children: Maintenance

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to review the Child Maintenance Service's practice of allowing a five working days' grace period for non-payment of child maintenance payments.

Caroline Dinenage: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is required to consider the circumstances of the paying parent when scheduling how and when payments are to be made. By setting payments in line with a paying parent’s preferred payment date and frequency, the paying parent is more likely to make the required payments on time. Before a payment is considered as ‘late’ or ‘missed’, the CMS allow an additional 5 days for payment to be received (either into CMS or direct to the receiving parent). This timescale is applied as different payment options, for instance direct debit, standing order or cheque, all have set clearance times. These clearance times are set by banks and are outside of CMS control. Clearance times can vary from bank to bank and can be affected by the type of account they are made from or to. Clearance times apply to banking or working days and it would not be right to penalise a paying parent if their usual payment date falls on a bank holiday or weekend as their payment would not be processed by the bank. There is no current plan to change the period before which a payment is considered late, though as banking processes evolve we will keep this under review.

Personal Independence Payment

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to review the grounds on which face-to-face interviews are required for a personal independence payment assessment.

Penny Mordaunt: Key to ensuring that decisions for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are correct is getting the best evidence from a variety of sources. As part of that evidence gathering process most people will be asked to attend a face-to-face consultation with a trained, independent assessor. Such a consultation gives individuals the opportunity to put across their own views of the impact of their health condition or impairment on their everyday lives. However, we accept that face-to-face consultations may not be appropriate in every case and if there is enough evidence then the claimant will not be asked to attend a consultation. Guidance on the circumstances when a paper-based assessment may be appropriate is contained in the PIP Assessment Guide which is regularly reviewed.

Occupational Pensions: Scotland

Ross Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the economic effect on Scotland of the increase in statutory minimum employee pension contributions in 2018 and 2019; and what estimate he has made of the number of people in Scotland who will be affected by those changes.

Guy Opperman: Automatic enrolment was designed to increase the number of people saving for their retirement, and has been a great success to date. By the end of September 2017, over 8.7 million people had been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension – this included 523,000 people in Scotland We do want to encourage people to save more than the minimum, but we need to balance this with the fact that many people are not saving anything and contributing to a pension will be new to them. We also recognise that employers needed time to adjust so as to implement the reforms, and to help manage their costs. As such, our focus is on increasing the number of people saving and increasing contributions gradually over the next two years. For an individual, these are currently at 1 per cent, rising to 3 per cent in April 2018 and 5 per cent in April 2019 We are currently undertaking a review of the policy and operation of automatic enrolment. This includes looking at the existing coverage of the policy; strengthening the evidence base concerning future contributions and how to improve individuals’ engagement with workplace pension saving so as to maximise saving for their retirement. The review work is led by a DWP team and supported by an external advisory group. We will report to Parliament by the end of 2017.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: EU Law

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the position paper, Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK, published on 21 August 2017, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the creation of an equivalent definition to Regulation 178/2002 on market placement during negotiations with the EU.

Stephen Gethins: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the position paper, Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK, published on 21 August 2017, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the creation of an equivalent definition to Regulation 178/2002 on market placement during negotiations with the EU.

George Eustice: The Government continues to prepare to negotiate our exit from the European Union. Defra is working with the Department for Exiting the European Union and other Government departments to ensure withdrawal from the EU is as smooth as possible. As part of this, the Government will be working with the devolved administrations, including the Scottish Government, to take their needs and considerations into account as we negotiate and deliver the best possible deal for this country in leaving the European Union.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will introduce legislation to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences to five years imprisonment.

George Eustice: On 30 September the Secretary of State announced that the Government would increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty offences from six months’ imprisonment to five years’ imprisonment. As this announcement made clear, draft legislation will be published for consultation around the turn of the year

Rents: New Forest

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consultations and Ministerial actions are required to depart from the principles laid down in the Illingworth report in respect of rents charged to commoners of the New Forest.

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to depart from the principles laid down in the Illingworth report in respect of rents charged to New Forest commoners; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The principles set out in the report of the working party on grazing in the New Forest, commonly referred to as the Illingworth report, are now more than 25 years old. The Forestry Commission has, over the past 25 years, done more than anyone to aid commoning through its policies on land and property leases. This includes substantial public subsidy on the basis of the benefits to commoning and maintaining the traditions of the New Forest. The Forestry Commission is initiating a review of its policies on land and property leases in the New Forest. This would include consultation with interested parties in the New Forest. I expect the Forestry Commission to work with those with an interest and present their findings and any planned changes in approach to Ministers for approval.

Land: Contamination

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the extent of contaminated land across each of the four Black Country boroughs; and what funding is available for remediation of such contamination.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has made no assessment of the extent of contaminated land. It is the statutory duty of local authorities to identify contaminated land in their areas and to ensure that risks to human health and the environment are removed. The Contaminated Land Capital Grant Programme ended in March this year (2017).

Horticulture: Production

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to put measures in place to boost UK horticultural production.

George Eustice: The Government currently supports horticulture though the LEADER scheme within the Rural Development Programme for England. New funding worth £40 million for farmers and horticulturalists to invest in a range of innovative equipment to help improve their productivity as part of the Countryside Productivity Scheme was launched on 30th October 2017. This funding could support production for both the domestic and export markets. The Government recognises that, in order to stimulate innovative practices and increase productivity of horticultural businesses, a strong research base is needed. As part of the agri-tech strategy, £160 million has been committed to be co-invested with industry to address challenges in the agri-tech sector. Government funded research into a variety of areas, including weed and disease control, and post-growing areas such as packaging and increased post-harvest shelf life is ongoing. The benefits of this research will help improve the productivity of the horticultural sector.

Veterinary Services: Drugs

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of leaving the EU on the security of supply of medicines for animals.

George Eustice: The majority of veterinary medicines available on the UK market are authorised on a national basis, as either standalone UK authorisations or in partnership with one or more other Member States. The status of these nationally authorised veterinary medicines will not be affected by the UK leaving the EU. A small percentage of veterinary medicines are authorised by the European Medicines Agency on a pan-European basis. The Government is working with the veterinary pharmaceutical industry to ensure that these medicines remain available once we leave the EU.

Sheep Meat: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on the volume of exports of Welsh lamb to Europe of leaving the EU without a deal.

George Eustice: We are fully aware of the importance of the EU market as a destination for Welsh and UK lamb. We want to secure a deep and comprehensive Free-Trade Agreement as an alternative to membership of the Single Market, which preserves our access to EU markets for lamb and all agricultural products. We are conducting ongoing analysis to help to develop a detailed understanding of how various trade scenarios will impact on all regions of the UK.

Meat Products: Stornoway

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Stornoway Black Pudding in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Government supports the use of geographical indications (GIs) and will prioritise continued protection for our UK food and drink. The EU rules that currently govern the enforcement of geographical indications will be placed on a UK legal basis through the EU Withdrawal Bill.  Ministers meet regularly in a variety of fora for discussions on such issues.

Air Pollution: Fees and Charges

Chris Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has to implement emissions charges programmes in areas of the country outside London which have reported illegal levels of air pollution.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green, Catherine West, on 19 October 2017, PQ 108834.

Cheddar Cheese: Orkney

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Scottish beef in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Scottish lamb in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Shetland lamb in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Traditional Ayrshire Dunlop cheese in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Scottish farmed salmon in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Scottish wild salmon in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Orkney beef in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

Hannah Bardell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on the protected designated origin status of Orkney lamb in a trade deal with the EU after the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The Government supports the use of geographical indications (GIs) and will prioritise continued protection of the best of our UK food and drink. The EU rules that currently govern the enforcement of geographical indications will be placed on a UK legal basis through the EU Withdrawal Bill. We will of course engage on how we continue to protect the best of our UK food and drink as we leave the EU and consider future trade opportunities across the world. Future protection of UK protected products in the EU, and EU protected products in the UK, is subject to negotiations with the EU on our future economic partnership. Ministers meet regularly in a variety of fora for discussions on such issues.

Food: Sales

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent estimate his Department has made of the (a) value, (b) amount and (c) proportion of food grown on farms in the UK which is rejected for sale because it does not meet buyer specifications; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: A number of factors influence the value, amount and proportion of food which ends up as waste on farm. Current data does not allow us to identify how much of the total is related to buyer specifications.

Food: Sales

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that food which is rejected for sale on account of specifications not being met is not wasted; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Preventing food waste is environmentally better than any treatment and can offer financial benefits for businesses. The Government is taking a multi-pronged approach to reducing food waste involving parties across the supply chain, including food producers. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) launched the Courtauld Commitment 2025, in March last year. Under this Commitment, WRAP has established a Fresh Produce Working Group, which includes representatives from the food production sector. A series of projects have been initiated, looking, for example, at identifying best practice from the many initiatives underway to utilise more of a crop. WRAP has also initiated a project to estimate how much food waste is occurring in primary production. This aims to provide baseline data for 2018. In the meantime, collaborative project activities will include a focus on pre-farm gate waste.

Fly-tipping: Business Premises

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the Government's progress on helping to prevent fly-tipping on commercial premises.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government is committed to tackling fly-tipping on commercial premises. We have recently enhanced the local authorities’ and Environment Agency’s ability to search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers and strengthened the Sentencing Council’s Guidelines. The maximum penalties for fly-tipping are imprisonment of up to five years or a potentially unlimited fine. Through the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group we have provided advice and guidance to landlords on measures they can take to prevent further fly-tipping on their land. We are also working closely with the British Property Federation, who are an active member of the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, to improve the reporting of fly-tipping on private land.

Home Office

Visas: Fees and Charges

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason a charge has been introduced for non-UK residents who send an inquiry email about visas.

Brandon Lewis: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Stretford and Urmston on the 10th October 2017, UIN 6195

Extreme Sports: Urban Areas

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce provisions for bringing prosecutions against urban climbers and base jumpers who access tall buildings and major tourist attractions.

Mr Nick Hurd: The police have a range of powers to deal with criminal activity, which includes public order offences, aggravated trespass and anti-social behaviour. There are also measures that can be taken to combat trespass through civil courts. When criminal activity does occur, the decision whether to arrest individuals is an operational matter for the police in line with their duties to keep the peace, to protect communities, and to prevent the commission of offences. The Home Office keep the available police powers under constant review and work closely with National Police Leads to ensure they are fit for purpose and allow the police to respond appropriately to a range of offences.

Crimes of Violence: Pensioners

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) prevent violent crimes against pensioners and (b) support pensioners who have been victims of such crimes.

Sarah Newton: Violent crime is abhorrent and has a devastating effect on individuals, families and communities. It will not be tolerated, in particular where perpetrators target the more vulnerable, including older people, and we are taking a range of action to tackle it. We work closely with the police and partners to ensure all victims of crime are signposted to the victim support available so they receive the help and support they need and deserve.

Crimes of Violence: Pensioners

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many pensioners have been victims of violent crime in (a) the UK and (b) Sunderland Central constituency in the last 12 months.

Sarah Newton: The Office for National Statistics publishes information from the Crime Survey for England and Wales on the proportion of adults who experienced violent crime by certain demographics, including age. This most recently published information, from Focus on Violence and Sexual Offences, Year Ending March 2016, can be found here:https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/appendixtablesfocusonviolentcrimeandsexualoffencesThese data cannot be broken down to a constituency level.

Emergency Services Network

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisations will contribute financially to the Emergency Services Network programme.

Mr Nick Hurd: This information is available on Gov.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-emergency-services-mobile-communications-programme/emergency-services-network

Knives: Crime

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to reduce knife crime.

Sarah Newton: Our work to tackle knife crime is centred on four key strands – working with the police on operations and enforcement, work on legislative framework, work with retailers on responsible sales, and early intervention and prevention. We are encouraging police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and the use of surrender bins. A record thirty-two police forces took part in the week of action in July. We have also agreed a set of commitments with major retailers to prevent the underage sales of knives more generally in their stores and online. The agreement also covers staff training and displays and packaging. We are keeping the legislative framework under review and on 14 October we launched a consultation on new legislation on offensive weapons. The proposals include placing restrictions on the online sale of knives, creating a new offence of possession of an offensive or dangerous weapon in a private place, and updating existing legislation. We have also just launched a £500,000 community fund to help community and voluntary sector organisations respond to knife crime, and we are supporting youth violence intervention and prevention work in hospital emergency departments. We are also intending to have national media campaign shortly aimed at discouraging young people from carrying knives.

London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority: Domestic Visits

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited London Fire Brigade; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Buckinghamshire, (b) East Sussex, (c) Hampshire, (d) Isle of Wight, (e) Kent, (f) Oxfordshire, (g) Royal Berkshire, (h) Surrey and (i) West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Bedfordshire, (b) Cambridgeshire, (c) Essex, (d) Hertfordshire, (e) Norfolk and (f) Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Avon, (b) Cornwall, (c) Devon and Somerset, (d) Dorset and Wiltshire, (e) Gloucestershire, (f) Guernsey and (g) Jersey Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Humberside, (b) North Yorkshire, (c) South Yorkshire and (d) West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Cleveland, (b) Durham, (c) Northumberland and (d) Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Mid and West Wales,  (b) North Wales and (c) South Wales Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Derbyshire, (b) Leicestershire, (c) Lincolnshire, (d) Nottinghamshire and (e) Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Cheshire, (b) Cumbria, (c) Lancashire, (d) Greater Manchester, (e) Merseyside and (f) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when a Minister in her Department last visited (a) Hereford and Worcester, (b) Shropshire, (c) Staffordshire, (d) Warwickshire and (e) West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service; and who was met on that visit.

Mr Nick Hurd: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Emergency Services Network: North Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the North Wales Police Force area is covered by the EE core network; and what proportion will be covered by the Extended Area Services.

Mr Nick Hurd: Roll out of ESN is still underway in North Wales and the rest of Great Britain, both in the EE Primary Area and the Extended Area. As such, proportions of coverage provided by each area are subject to change.Based on the current forecast coverage predications for Network rollout on Major and Minor roads, we anticipate that in the North Wales Police area, up to 89% will be provided by EE in the primary area, and up to a further 11% provided in the EAS area.

Emergency Services Network

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the length of time for which Airwave and the emergency services network will run in parallel.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is very clear that there will be no risks with public safety and there will be no gap in the emergency services’ communications provision.It will ultimately be for the emergency services themselves to confirm they are content with the new ESN service and the existing Airwave system will continue until transition is complete. Greater clarity on the date ESN will be available is expected by the end of the year.

Emergency Services Network: Standards

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the emergency services network compared with Airwave in transmitting mission-critical voice data in all operational circumstances.

Mr Nick Hurd: The plan for delivery of the Emergency Services Network (ESN) includes an extensive period of testing and trials, culminating in one or more major operational trials. All test cases are derived from the ESN user requirements, which were developed with Emergency Services to ensure that the new network would perform as well, or better, than the Airwave service. User representatives are involved in all the test phases and will have final signoff on the suitability of ESN for mission critical use. The Government is very clear that there will be no risks with public safety and there will be no gap in the emergency services’ communications provision. It will ultimately be for the emergency services themselves to confirm they are content with the new ESN service and the existing Airwave system will continue until transition is complete.

Emergency Services Network: Radio Frequencies

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received on the reserved radio spectrum for the emergency services network.

Mr Nick Hurd: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy developments and delivery. As was the case with the previous administrations, it is not the Government’s practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the Welsh Government's decision to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

Sarah Newton: Minimum Unit Pricing in England and Wales remains under review pending the outcome of the legal case between the Scottish Government and the Scotch Whisky Association, and any subsequent introduction in Scotland. The UK Government will assess the legislative competence of any Welsh Government legislation that is introduced, as is standard practice with all Welsh Assembly Bills.

Alcoholic Drinks

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish a new alcohol strategy.

Sarah Newton: Although alcohol consumption has fallen in recent years, the harms associated with alcohol remain too high. The Government remains committed to reducing alcohol-related harms and continues to deliver actions from our Modern Crime Prevention Strategy which identified alcohol as a driver of crime.The 2016 UK Chief Medical Officers low risk drinking guidelines provide the public with the most up to date scientific information to help people make informed decisions about their own drinking. The Government continues to keep alcohol policy under review.

Police: Finance

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her oral contribution to the Home Affairs Committee, on 17 October 2017, which police leaders have confirmed to her that they have sufficient resources.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government has protected police spending since 2015. Since then, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have received broadly flat cash direct resource funding and we are increasing investment in transformation and improved communications and technology capabilities.We know that crime is changing, and we are sensitive to current pressures on policing. That is why I am undertaking a programme of engagement with the sector to understand the impact of changing demands, and to hear how the police are managing this. That includes what more can be done to improve productivity and efficiency, reduce bureaucracy, and make prudent use of financial reserves.

Tapan Ghosh

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits  of using an exclusion order on Mr Tapan Ghosh, prior to his arrival to the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben  Wallace: It is Home Office policy not to comment on whether an individual is being assessed for a potential exclusion order.

Tapan Ghosh

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Extremism Analysis Unit conducted research into the views of Mr Tapan Ghosh prior to his arrival to the UK in October 2017.

Mr Ben  Wallace: It is Home Office policy not to comment on whether an individual is being assessed for a potential exclusion order.

Police

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to conclude her consideration of the Independent Police Complaints Commission's draft statutory guidance on best evidence in cases involving death and serious injury.

Mr Nick Hurd: The Government is considering the IPCC’s revised draft statutory guidance on best evidence in death and serious injury matters in light of recent incidents and ongoing work by the College of Policing to produce new post incident guidelines for death and serious injury cases. We will reach a decision in due course.

Investigatory Powers Act 2016

Clive Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for publication of her Department's response to the consultation on the Investigatory Powers Act Codes of Practice; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Public consultation on five codes of practice issued under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 took place over a six week period earlier this year, ending on 6 April. As with the unprecedented levels of scrutiny the Act itself received during its passage through Parliament, the statutory consultation played a vital role in the development of these codes of practice, and the Government is grateful to those who took the time to respond to the consultation. The codes provide information and guidance to those public authorities able to exercise powers under the Investigatory Powers Act, and will ensure the powers are used in the intended manner. The Government’s response to the consultation and the regulations bringing these codes into force will be laid before Parliament in due course. They will then be subject to scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments, and will then be debated in Parliament.

Police Custody: Death

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce bereavement counselling for families where there has been a death in police custody in cases where families are not entitled to support from the National Homicide Service.

Mr Nick Hurd: Families bereaved by murder or manslaughter are entitled to the support of the Ministry of Justice funded Homicide Service. This offers practical and emotional support, and where needed, will refer bereaved individuals to free of charge specialist therapy (trauma and bereavement counselling) provision.Where a death takes place in a mental health setting, including following an arrest by the police, the National Guidance on Learning from Deaths (2017) provides guidance for NHS Trusts about engaging meaningfully and compassionately with bereaved families and carers in relation to all stages of responding to a death. Bereaved families and carers should receive a high standard of bereavement care which respects confidentiality, values, culture and beliefs, including being offered appropriate support. This includes providing, offering or directing people to specialist suicide bereavement support.In other cases where this support does not apply, the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody will consider these as part of its “support for families” workstream. This forms a part of the broader work programme announced by the Government in response to Dame Elish Angiolini’s Independent Review of Deaths and Serious Incidents in Police Custody.

Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 2 December 2016 to Question 54519, what the timetable is for the publication of the Government's review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013.

Sarah Newton: The Government has conducted a review of the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013 to assess whether it has met its intended objectives and whether it should be retained or repealed. A report of the findings of this review will be published later this year.

Police

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has received from (a) police forces, (b) their associated governance and advisory bodies, (c) housing and homelessness non-governmental organisations and (d) policing unions on the extent and effect on policing of homeless people coming or being directed to police stations in search of shelter.

Mr Nick Hurd: I am undertaking a programme of engagement with the sector to understand the impact of changing demands, and to hear how the police are managing this. These issues have not been raised in those discussions to date. It is a local decision for chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners how they use their available resources to meet these demands.

Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on programmes similar to Operation Constrain in other countries; what discussions she has had with her counterparts in other countries on managing the return of Daesh fighters to their countries; and if she will make a statement.

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people returning from Syria and Iraq who fall within the scope of Operation Constrain are permitted to return to the communities in the UK which they left to travel to the Middle East.

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget is for Operation Constrain.

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the threshold of evidence is for prosecutions against returning Daesh fighters under Operation Constrain; and whether that threshold has been changed in anticipation of an expected increase in the number of such people returning to the UK.

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what restrictions Operation Constrain places on (a) the communication with each other, (b) travel around the UK and to other countries, (c) activities conducted online and (d) other forms of interaction with previous networks within the UK of returning Daesh fighters.

Mr Ben  Wallace: The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist activity, and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners. Where there is evidence someone has committed an offence they will be prosecuted accordingly. This is a decision for the Crown Prosecution Service. An increase in the number of people facing charges does not affect the threshold for prosecution. We are a reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future. We engage closely with counter terrorism partners across the world, including sharing capabilities and experience in order to keep the public safe.

Home Office: Travel

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which tickets relating to which journeys set out in the transparency release, entitled Ministerial overseas travel, April to June 2017, published on 13 October 2017, were (a) first, (b) business, (c) economy and (d) any other class.

Amber Rudd: The Home Secretary travelled in business class to Canada in June 2017.

UK Visas and Immigration

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of her Department's resources for UK Visas and Immigration when UK leaves the EU.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office constantly reviews its capabilities in order to deliver the Government’s agenda. The Department responded quickly to the challenges following the EU referendum last June. With negotiations now underway, we continue to assess how our priorities will impact on the workforce and capabilities required. We are considering a range of options for the UK’s future immigration system and will be outlining further details of the new system later in the year.

Religious Hatred

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's advertisement for a Lead Commissioner for Counter Extremism, published on 17 September 2017, when disaggregated hate crime data by victim religion will be published.

Sarah Newton: The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of hate crime offences recorded by the police in England and Wales. For religious hate crimes, the Home Office began collecting information on the perceived religion of the victim on a mandatory basis in April 2017. These data are due to be published in the next hate crime statistical bulletin in October 2018. The most recent hate crime statistical bulletin is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2016-to-2017

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Brexit

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department was consulted by the Department for Exiting the European Union on the economic impact assessments conducted for the UK leaving the EU.

David Mundell: The UK Government is carrying out an ongoing programme of comprehensive analytical work that will inform our negotiating position with the EU, to define our deep and special partnership with the EU and inform our understanding of how EU exit will affect the UK’s domestic policies and frameworks. The Scotland Office is working with officials across government, in close coordination with the Department for Exiting the European Union, to ensure the delivery of a holistic programme of analysis across government.

Scotland Office: Brexit

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether his Department has a contingency fund in case no deal is reached between the UK and the EU.

David Mundell: Like all departments, the Scotland Office is planning for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure we are ready on Day 1. Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit. The Scotland Office has received additional funding this year, and has reprioritised to meet new pressures arising from Brexit preparations. Additional funding received from the reserve for 2017/18 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates and decisions on funding in future years will be confirmed at a later date.

HM Treasury

Bank Services: Closures

Jo Stevens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of bank branch closures in (a) 2014, (b) 2015 and (c) 2016.

Stephen Barclay: The Treasury does not collect data relating to bank branch closures. Decisions on the opening and closing of individual bank branches are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis without intervention from Government. While banks and building societies need to balance customer interests, market competition, and other commercial factors when considering their strategy, the Government is pleased to see that the industry is committing to further improvements to protect those affected by branch closures. For this reason, the Government welcomed the launch of the new Access to Banking Standard in May 2017. The Standard commits banks to ensure customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board. Since January, 99% of banks’ personal customers are able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. Government will have provided nearly £2 billion during the period 2011 to 2018 to maintain and modernise the Post Office network.

Treasury: Travel

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 25 October 2017 to Question 108144, what the cost of each ticket was; to how many people those eight bookings related; and what the reasons were for that travel.

Mel Stride: Seven people made the eight rail bookings referred to in Question 108144.The cost of each booking and the reasons for travel are given below :  Booking NoTicket typeCostRouteReason for travel11st/std£138.00Stafford / London returnMeeting with HMRC’s Executive Committee21st£86.00London / York returnStakeholder meetings31st£255.00Durham / London returnPolicy meeting41st£209.00Durham / London returnPolicy meeting51st£47.00London / Southend returnBusiness meeting61st/std£207.00London / Newcastle returnSite visit and management meetings71st/std£180.00London/Birmingham/Telford/LondonSite visit and management meetings81st/std£133.00Wolverhampton/Birmingham/London/WolverhamptonMeeting with CEO

Investment: Fraud

Catherine West: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Financial Conduct Authority's findings on the proportion of over-55s who suspect that they have been contacted about a fraudulent investment in the last three years and did not report it, what steps his Department is taking to advise such people to report such fraudulent investment activity.

Stephen Barclay: In 2015 the government launched Project Bloom to target fraudsters. Project Bloom is a dedicated cross-government task force which helps raise public awareness of the risks and threats posed by fraudsters. To cut off fraudsters before they can reach the public, the government has also committed to banning pensions cold-calling, including texts and emails.

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Ross Thomson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on the economy of north-east Scotland of the proposed closure of all HM Revenue and Customs offices north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, including the office at Ruby House, Aberdeen.

Ross Thomson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of maintaining a third HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Scotland, north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, by exempting the Ruby House office in Aberdeen from the proposed HMRC office closures.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) established a clear set of location principles to determine where to site its regional centres and considered these principles alongside the impact on its people. Its Locations Programme will bring teams together in large offices, enabling them to work together to maximise tax revenue and tackle fraud and evasion irrespective of where it occurs. HMRC is confident that the regional centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with its specialist site at Gartcosh, will serve the whole of Scotland effectively.

Learning Disability: Taxation

Mark Tami: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many inspections HM Revenue and Customs has carried out in the learning disability providers sector in the last two years; and on what basis those inspections were carried out.

Mark Tami: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has issued to HM Revenue and Customs inspectors on the rules relating to the national minimum wage on overnight sleep-in care in the learning disability sector.

Mel Stride: The Government is determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them. HM Treasury does not provide guidance on the rules relating to NMW. HMRC enforces NMW in line with the law and policy set out by the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/calculating-the-minimum-wage This includes guidance on when time spent asleep can be working time for NMW purposes. HMRC closed 7 investigations in 2015/16 and closed a further 9 investigations in 2016/17 in relation to employers who have been recorded as providing learning disability services. HMRC opens investigations for a wide range of reasons, including in response to worker complaints, third party information and as a result of targeted enforcement.

Fuels: Excise Duties

Scott Mann: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of reducing the level of fuel duty; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Jones: HMT continuously keeps the level of fuel duty under review, as we do with all taxes. The government has frozen fuel duty in every year from 2011 to lessen the impact of high fuel prices on households and business costs. In total, our action on fuel since 2010 has saved the average car driver £130 a year and the average van driver £350 compared to what they would have been paying under the previous Labour government’s escalator plans.

Credit Reference Agencies: Disclosure of Information

Martin Whitfield: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that credit reference agencies notify people when their data is accessed or their identity is used by another person to obtain credit.

Stephen Barclay: All Credit Reference Agencies (CRAs) must comply with the Data Protection Act, and CRAs’ use of data is monitored by the independent Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). CRAs are under a general obligation to take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the security and integrity of the personal data they process. Article 33 of General Data Protection Regulation makes it a legal requirement for firms to inform the ICO of any breach that is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals within 72 hours of it being discovered. Where the risk is high, the affected individuals must also be informed without undue delay. The ICO has a number of tools available to ensure that CRAs comply with the Data Protection Act, and the ICO has strong powers to take action when data breaches occur.

Income Tax

Michael Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of income tax was raised from the (a) top-earning one, (b) top-earning 10 and (c) bottom-earning 10 per cent in (i) 2017, (ii) 2010, (iii) 1997 and (iv) 1979.

Mel Stride: The estimates for the proportion of income tax raised from the top-earning one, top-earning 10 and bottom-earning 10 per cent are provided for 1996-97, 2009-10 and 2016-17 tax years in the table below. The percentile groups ranged on total income before tax. Estimates for the proportion of income tax raised in the 1978-79 tax year are not available.Share of Total Income Tax Liability Top(3)Bottom(3) 1%10%10%1996-9720.048.0*2009-1026.554.90.62016-17(1)(2)26.958.50.4  *This figure is not available. (1) Projected estimates based upon the 2014-15 Survey of Personal Incomes using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s March 2017 economic and fiscal outlook.(2) Prior to 2016-17, total income includes the amount of dividends plus dividend tax credit (one ninth of the dividend), the grossed dividend, and income tax is charged on the grossed dividend. The tax due can be satisfied (in part) by the notional tax credit (10% of the grossed dividend). The table reflects the grossed dividend in total income and shows the income tax liability before the tax credit is offset. From 2016-17 the dividend tax credit is abolished, effective dividend tax rates are increased by 7.5% and a £5,000 Personal Dividend Allowance is introduced. This affects the measure of total income and leads to a discontinuity in the basis on which tax liabilities are presented between 2015-16 (and earlier) and 2016-17, so the share of incomes and tax liabilities are not directly comparable.(3) Percentile groups ranged on total income before tax.

Personal Income

Michael Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, at what rates income levels have changed for the (a) bottom-earning and (b) top-earning 10 per cent in each year since 2010.

Stephen Barclay: The lowest 10% of earners have seen the strongest earnings growth since 2010, as highlighted in the table below, which shows gross weekly earnings of all UK employees. Their earnings have grown more than twice as fast as the earnings of the top 10% of earners. Gross weekly earnings (£)20102017% change10th percentile118.9144.321%90th percentile884.7973.110% Source: HMT calculations using Office for National Statistics data (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings)Note: Includes all employees on adult rates, whose pay for the survey period was unaffected by absence.

Spirits: Excise Duties

Douglas Ross: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of revenue to the public purse of the rise in spirits revenue after the change in excise duty in the Budget 2015.

Andrew Jones: The forecast impact of alcohol duty changes on Government revenues can be found in Table 2.1 of the Budget documents from Summer Budget 2015. These are central estimates certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. It is not possible to retrospectively assess the impact on revenue of a single tax change which forms part of a package of measures affecting alcohol duty. The OBR evaluate their forecasts each year in the Forecast Evaluation Review, which can be found at http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/fer/forecast-evaluation-report-october-2017/.

Revenue and Customs: Scotland

Ross Thomson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of proposed closure of all HM Revenue and Customs offices in Scotland outside Glasgow and Edinburgh on the distribution of public sector resources between the (a) central belt and (b) rest of Scotland.

Mel Stride: HMRC will have two regional centres which will serve the whole of Scotland. They will be located in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the locations which most comprehensively met HMRC’s selection criteria. The spread of HMRC‘s regional centres around the UK supports the Government’s strategy of jobs in every region and nation of the UK.

Royal Bank of Scotland

Bill Esterson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Sefton Central of 26 October 2017, Official Report, column 469, if he will instigate a judge-led inquiry into RBS's treatment of SMEs.

Stephen Barclay: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published a detailed summary of the main findings from the skilled persons report. The FCA announced it is investigating the matters arising from the report and focussing on whether there is any basis for it to take further action. It would not be appropriate for the government to comment further whilst this process is ongoing.

Mortgages: Equity Release

Alex Sobel: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to allow equity release for terminally ill people with mortgages whatever the age of that person.

Stephen Barclay: Lenders are not restricted from offering equity release products to terminally ill people. Decisions around the pricing and availability of individual mortgage loans, including age limits, are commercial decisions for lenders, and the Government does not seek to intervene in these.

Business: EU Grants and Loans

Chi Onwurah: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the effect of the UK's decision to leave the EU on the release of the European Investment Bank funds to UK businesses.

Stephen Barclay: Following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, project approvals have been experiencing some delays due to the European Investment Bank (EIB) carrying out additional due diligence. The EIB/ European Investment Fund is an important source of finance for UK infrastructure investment and for growth businesses. The Government has been clear that UK rights and responsibilities should continue to be respected while we are in the EU, consistent with the EU’s own negotiating guidelines. This means that EU finance, including from the EIB Group, must remain available to UK borrowers on equal terms with other Member States. Recent progress has been made with two UK projects being granted approval for EIB finance in September.

Department for Exiting the European Union

EU Law

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, on how many occasions the European Commission has begun infringement proceedings against the UK Government.

Mr Robin Walker: The information requested is publicly available on the website of the European Commission where the infringement cases for each member state can be found. This includes the infringement and the decision. These records go back to 2002 and can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/?lang_code=enThe United Kingdom has never been fined under EU infringement proceedings.

Aviation

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what representations the Government has received from the aviation sector on priorities for its negotiations on the UK leaving the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The Government is working closely with the aviation sector to ensure it continues to be a major success story for the UK economy. Ministers and officials from across Government have met widely with the sector since the referendum, covering the full spectrum of issues affecting the industry.

Cars: UK Trade With EU

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the importation of cars from EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the importation of alcohol from EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the importation of electronic appliances from EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the importation of perishable goods from EU member states after the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK is a major market for EU goods, including food and drink. In 2016, the UK imported £242 billion of goods from EU Member States. This reinforces the value of a deep and special economic partnership between the UK and the EU.The Government’s position paper Continuity in the availability of goods for the EU and the UK (21 August 2017) sets out proposals designed to avoid disruption for businesses and consumers in regard the availability of goods, including imports, as the UK leaves the EU. Over recent months, we have held constructive discussions with the European Commission on these specific issues.The paper also emphasises the UK’s ambitions for a future partnership with the EU that secures the freest and most frictionless trade possible in goods and services. The terms of our trading relationship with the EU after we leave are a matter for the negotiations on our future relationship, however we are confident that a future partnership between the UK and the EU is in the interest of both sides, so we approach the negotiations anticipating success.

Brexit: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he last met the First Secretary to discuss the Welsh Government's priorities for the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: On 16 October 2017, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union attended the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, chaired by the First Secretary of State and attended by representatives from the devolved administrations, including the Welsh Government. Important progress was made. The Committee discussed priorities for the future relationship with the EU and agreed the principles that will underpin common UK frameworks. The Secretary of State and the First Secretary regularly discuss the process of exiting the European Union.

Local Government: North West

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with council leaders and mayors in the North West on potential new powers for local authorities when the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union and the Department for Communities and Local Government are working closely with stakeholders and regional partners across the country, including elected mayors in the North West, to understand issues related to exit and identify any regional implications. The Government will continue to champion devolution to local government and is committed to devolving greater powers to local government where there is economic rationale to do so.

Brexit

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether his Department is helping to prepare contingency plans across Government in the event of a no deal outcome from the negotiations on the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Steve Baker: The Government is fully committed to negotiating a deep and special partnership with the European Union and negotiations are progressing well. However, as a responsible government, we are ensuring plans are in place for a range of outcomes, including the unlikely scenario where the UK leaves the EU without a deal. The Department for Exiting the European Union is working alongside each Government department to build a clear understanding of how withdrawing from the EU will affect its existing policies and services. Plans are well developed and have been designed to provide the flexibility to respond to a number of potential outcomes.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Brexit

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding his Department has allocated to preparations for no deal being reached in negotiations between the UK and the EU.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether his Department has set aside funding for contingencies in the event that no deal is reached between the UK and the EU.

Chloe Smith: Like all Departments the Northern Ireland Office is planning for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure we are ready on Day 1. EU Exit affects a number of work areas across the Department and will therefore encompass a proportion of workload for staff, the amount of which will vary over time. Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of Departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit. The Northern Ireland Office has received additional funding this year, and has reprioritised to meet new pressures arising from Brexit preparations. Additional funding received from the reserve for 2017/18 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates. Decisions on funding in future years will be confirmed at a later date.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Tourism

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate her Department has made of the contribution of the licensed hospitality industry to the UK tourism economy.

John Glen: Tourism as a whole contributed £62.4bn to the economy in 2015. We cannot make an estimate into the contribution of licensed hospitality to the UK economy as we do not hold information on businesses which are specifically licensed versus those that are not.

Hate Crime and Defamation: Internet

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to protect people from offensive and defamatory online broadcasting content.

Matt Hancock: Online TV channels licensed by Ofcom must comply with robust rules in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code on harmful or offensive content. Video-on-demand services within UK jurisdiction are subject to higher level rules which focus on harmful material, for example prohibiting incitement to hatred. More widely, as part of the work on the Digital Charter, the government is considering a range of options to counter internet harms. This includes an Internet Safety Strategy, published on 11 October, which considers the responsibilities of companies to their users, the use of technical solutions to prevent online harms and government’s role in supporting users.

LIFE

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether the decision to award the Life charity monies from the Tampon Tax Fund was made (a) before or (b) after the grant agreement with that charity was signed.

Tracey Crouch: Grant agreements are entered into after ‘in principle’ funding decisions are made and are only signed when both parties are content with the terms and conditions.

Wales Office

Sheep Meat: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussion he has had with his (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) counterpart in the Welsh Government on the effect of leaving the EU without a deal on the export of Welsh lamb to Europe.

Alun Cairns: Leaving the EU presents a major opportunity for Welsh and wider UK agriculture and we are working towards achieving the best possible deal for the agricultural industry across the UK. We want to secure a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement as an alternative to membership of the Single Market, which preserves our access to EU markets for red meat, including Welsh lamb, and all agricultural products. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales will continue to work with other Government departments including the Department for Exiting the European Union, directly with farmers and farming industry representatives, and Welsh and local Government to support the Welsh economy and promote a prosperous Wales within a strong United Kingdom after we leave the EU.

Zero Hours Contracts: Wales

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Welsh Government on the use of zero hours contracts in Wales.

Alun Cairns: I hold regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and the Welsh Government. Both Government and independent research has identified that zero hours contracts are an important part of a flexible, modern labour market. However, the Government shares the concerns regarding job security which is why the Prime Minister asked Matthew Taylor to carry out an independent review of employment practices. The review was published on 11th July and we have committed to respond fully in due course.

Holyhead Port: Customs

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of introducing customs checks at Holyhead Port on congestion on the A55.

Alun Cairns: The port at Holyhead is vital to the economy of north Wales, and acts as an important link between the Republic of Ireland and the UK. A number of UK Government ministers, including the Minister for Security and I, have visited Holyhead to discuss the impact of EU Exit on the port. The UK Government Minister for Wales has also met with Irish Ferries. The Government is committed to ensuring that withdrawal from the EU is a successful and smooth process for all parts of the UK, and we are conscious that a significant proportion of the traffic at some ports is not currently subject to customs controls. We want to ensure that traffic continues to flow freely at all UK ports and airports, including Holyhead, and we will seek to ensure that customs arrangements and mechanisms are as frictionless as possible, and that trade fluidity is maintained. Officials in the Wales Office and colleagues across Government are working with port operators and other stakeholders in Wales to support the smooth and orderly implementation of these new arrangements. Responsibility for roads in Wales is devolved to the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government.

Holyhead Port: Infrastructure

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the potential implications of the UK leaving the Customs Union on changes to levels of traffic and usage at the port in Holyhead requiring additional infrastructure in and around that port.

Alun Cairns: There has been, and will continue to be, constructive engagement between the UK Government and the Welsh Government on the issue of EU Exit. On 30 October, the Prime Minister and I met with the First Minister, and last month the First Secretary of State and I also met with him. The Government is committed to ensuring that withdrawal from the EU is a successful and smooth process for all parts of the UK, and we are conscious that a significant proportion of the traffic at some ports is not currently subject to customs controls. We want to ensure that traffic continues to flow freely at all UK ports and airports, including Holyhead, and we will seek to ensure that customs arrangements and mechanisms are as frictionless as possible, and that trade fluidity is maintained. Officials in the Wales Office and colleagues across Government are working with port operators and other stakeholders in Wales to support the smooth and orderly implementation of these new arrangements.

Wales Office: Brexit

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department has a contingency fund in case no deal is reached between the UK and the EU.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department plans to spend on preparations for no deal being reached between the UK and the EU.

Guto Bebb: Like all departments, the Wales Office is helping to plan for a number of EU Exit scenarios to make sure that we are ready on Day 1. The department has reprioritised to ensure resources are available to do this. Over £250m of additional funding has been approved across a number of departments in 2017/18 to prepare for Brexit, including the Wales Office. Any additional funding the department receives from the reserve for 2017/18 will be set out at Supplementary Estimates.

Department of Health

Vaccination: Finance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to change levels of funding for vaccination programmes; and which vaccines will be so affected.

Steve Brine: Funding for vaccination programmes (both the cost of vaccines and administering those vaccines) were estimated up to 2020/21 as part of the Department’s 2015 Spending Review process. These estimates are updated on an ongoing basis to take account of expert advice as well as changes in demand and pricing.

Psychiatry: Training

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to encourage doctors to specialise in (a) psychiatry in general and (b) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many additional medical places will be at medical schools with mental health as a priority.

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will encourage medical schools to support the Royal College of Psychiatry Choose Psychiatry campaign; and what assessment he has made of workforce capacity to meet increased demand.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The 1,000 additional medical school places that will available from September 2019 will be allocated through a competitive bidding process that is being managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and Health Education England (HEE). The published criteria against which bids will be assessed include how proposals support specialities such as psychiatry. This is part of a historic expansion announced by my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State in October 2016 and includes an additional 500 places allocated for September 2018 entry. In ‘Stepping forward to 2020/21: A mental health workforce plan for England’, HEE sets out a plan to transform the mental health workforce, including a number of key actions to increase workforce supply. Current initiatives to improve recruitment into psychiatry training posts include increasing the number of training placements in psychiatry in the Foundation Programme and supporting the Royal College of Psychiatrists on its marketing campaign ‘Choose Psychiatry’. From 2018 HEE will introduce an additional training pathway (run through Child and Adolescent Mental Health) to enable doctors to specialise in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Psychiatry: Hertfordshire

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many unfilled psychiatry posts there are in the North East Hertfordshire constituency.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on the number of unfilled psychiatry posts in the North East Hertfordshire constituency is not available centrally. NHS Digital collects data on the number of published vacancy adverts obtained from NHS Jobs, the main recruitment website for the National Health Service by Health Education England region. The number of advertised vacancy full-time equivalents within the Psychiatry Area of Work in Health Education East of England region as at 1 January 2017 - 31 March 2017 was 738.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of the BCG vaccine; what plans he has to secure supplies of that vaccine after the UK leaves the EU; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: There have been periods of intermittent supply of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine in recent years. Supply of a non-United Kingdom licensed BCG vaccine to the National Health Service is currently stable. Public Health England continues to work with the contracted supplier to reinstate a UK licensed BCG vaccine during 2018. The renewal of contracts to secure supplies for the UK national programme is in progress and will secure vaccine up to 2022. The Government is committed to ensuring leaving the European Union is a success for the health and social care sector as well as the UK as a whole.

Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have had the BCG vaccine in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Data is not collected in the format requested.

Care Homes

Jared O'Mara: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance the Government offers to local authorities on the effect of the provisions in the Care Act 2014 on the minimum number of residential care homes such authorities are required to offer.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Care Act 2014 does not specify the minimum number of residential care homes authorities are required to offer. The Care Act 2014 placed a duty on local authorities in England to promote a diverse, sustainable, high quality market of care and support providers for people in their local area. We have given local authorities in England an extra £2 billion over the next three years to maintain access for our growing aging population and allow councils to sustain a diverse care market including care home places. In addition the Government has announced we will consult on plans to improve the social care system and to put it on a more secure financial footing.

NHS: Cornwall

Scott Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding the NHS in Cornwall currently receives; and how that level of funding compares to levels in 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: Decisions on clinical commissioning group (CCG) allocations are taken independently of Government by NHS England and published on the NHS England website. The 2017-18 allocation for NHS Kernow CCG, which comprises both Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is £745,816 million on page 13 of:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ccg-allocations.pdfThe CCG framework was created following the Health and Social Act in 2012, therefore no direct comparison can be made between 2010 and the current funding levels in 2017-18.

Contraceptives

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the extent of the reduction in uptake of long-acting reversible contraception; and what assessment he has made of the implications of that reduction for his policies.

Paula Sherriff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the variation in the levels of access to contraception from sexual health clinics in England.

Steve Brine: Local authorities are mandated to commission comprehensive contraception services that meet the needs of their population. Sexual and Reproductive Health Profiles, which include contraception, have been developed by Public Health England (PHE) to support local authorities, public health leads and other interested parties to monitor the sexual and reproductive health of their population and the contribution of local public health related systems. The Department closely monitors the range of indicators and outcomes at national level. In 2017/18 PHE will produce a State of the Nation Report for Reproductive Health which will highlight delivery of contraception, including Long Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC), in England using currently routinely collected data as well as large nationally-representative surveys. While general practice prescriptions for LARC have fallen by 6% over the last three years, within sexual and reproductive health services the proportion of women using LARC continues to increase and is now at 39% of those attending for contraception purposes.

Injuries

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were admitted via accident and emergency departments with a primary diagnosis of laceration in each month of the financial years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15, (f) 2015-16 and (g) 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: A count of unplanned accident and emergency attendances1 (A&E) resulting in an admission2 and a primary diagnosis of laceration3, for the financial years between 2010-11 and 2016-174 is shown in the table below. This is a count of hospital attendances resulting in admissions, not individual patients as the same person may have been admitted into a National Health Service hospital on more than one occasion.  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17April3,1103,0932,2162,1772,3992,1651,917May3,2803,0632,4442,3872,4482,2752,337June2,5392,9522,4782,3922,5102,4782,141July2,5303,0372,5732,8112,6352,5762,258August2,6792,9942,7912,7702,6232,4502,368September2,3332,8132,5162,4012,4482,1162,246October2,3062,7122,2722,1962,4122,1511,997November2,0042,5372,0482,1402,1241,9401,677December1,9512,4262,1622,1961,9422,0011,688January2,0312,2762,0272,0721,8741,7461,541February1,9782,0041,7951,9941,6881,6151,484March2,2942,3351,9502,4881,9891,7741,852 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS DigitalNotes: 1The following attendance category codes identify unplanned A&E attendances:1 = First A&E attendance3 = Follow-up A&E attendance – unplanned9 = Not known2Attendance disposal 01 = Admitted to hospital bed / become a lodged patient of the same health care provider.3A&E Diagnosis - The recording of the diagnosis field within the A&E data set is not mandatory. It is not known to what extent changes over time are as a result of improvements in recording practice.04 = Head injury4HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Note that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity occurring between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

Injuries

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were admitted via accident and emergency departments with a primary diagnosis of a sprain or ligament injury in each month of the financial years (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2012-13, (d) 2013-14, (e) 2014-15, (f) 2015-16 and (g) 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: A count of unplanned accident and emergency (A&E) attendances1 resulting in an admission2 and a primary diagnosis of sprain or ligament injury3, for the financial years between 2010-11 and 2016-174 is displayed in the table below. This is a count of hospital attendances resulting in admissions, not individual patients as the same person may have been admitted into a National Health Service hospital on more than one occasion.  2010-112011-122012-132013-142014-152015-162016-17April735721724782816799815May759701868834863857905June625713819771781915941July614646813780838859881August663740769787850848898September654763795814810845954October602851842814836811878November532792768832808759815December503789714881739795872January508788744799655796725February507777724752661756666March630756787865733774901 Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), NHS Digital Notes: 1The following attendance category codes identify unplanned A&E attendances:1 = First A&E attendance3 = Follow-up A&E attendance – unplanned9 = Not known2Attendance disposal 01 = Admitted to hospital bed / become a lodged patient of the same health care provider.3A&E Diagnosis - The recording of the diagnosis field within the A&E data set is not mandatory. It is not known to what extent changes over time are as a result of improvements in recording practice.06 = Sprain or ligament injury4HES figures are available from 2007-08 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage and changes in NHS practice. For example, changes in activity may be due to changes in the provision of care. Note that HES include activity ending in the year in question and run from April to March, e.g. 2012-13 includes activity occurring between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013.

General Practitioners: Greater London

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2017 to Question 107810, on general practitioners: Greater London, what estimate his Department has made of the GP-to-patient ratio in (a) the Enfield Clinical Commissioning Group and (b) clinical commissioning groups in London in each financial year since April 2013.

Steve Brine: The requested information is attached. However, general practitioner (GP) locum figures were not collected prior to 2015, therefore 2013 and 2014 figures are not directly comparable to subsequent years.



PQ109664 attached table
(Word Document, 19.29 KB)

Patients: Transport

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to provide safe and accessible transportation to and from hospitals for patients who are (a) too ill for public transport and (b) travelling to and from areas with poor quality patient transport services.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken to help older patients facing long journeys get to and from hospital appointments; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: The provision of appropriate patient transport services is a matter for local National Health Service commissioners.

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to address the downward trend in cervical cancer screening rates among women.

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase cervical cancer screening uptakes among women in the 25 to 29 age group.

Steve Brine: A range of work is being undertaken by Public Health England (PHE) to understand the reasons for the decline in uptake and to support the National Health Service and local authorities to address them. They include access to timely and useful data for benchmarking, evidence on best practices to increase uptake among women who wish to be screened, using governance levers to advice NHS and local authorities and working in partnership with commissioners, providers and charities. NHS England closely monitors the coverage rates for cervical screening in all age groups. Local NHS England commissioners analyse coverage rates within their area and work with general practices to improve coverage by sharing best practice. Work done to increase uptake includes sharing and implementing best practice such as cervical screening guides for general practitioner (GP) practices or targeting practices with low coverage rates, where relevant this includes working to retain delivery via the genitourinary medicine clinics, further roll out of GP-endorsed text reminder services, and supporting non NHS England research project for self-testing pilot for cervical screening. At a national level, NHS England is working with PHE to make evidence-based improvements such as improving invitation letters to patients to encourage more to attend their cervical screening appointment. NHS England is working in partnership with Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support on the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) Programme aiming to generate knowledge about effective approaches to achieve earlier diagnosis. A number of ACE test sites are evaluating approaches to increase screening rates in a range of groups, including black and ethnic minority women, women with learning disabilities and women from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Carers

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the number of additional unpaid carers there will be by (a) 2020 and (b) 2040.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not made estimates of the numbers of additional informal carers in 2020 or 2040. The Department expects to explore this area further as part of wider work on the sustainability of adult social care.

Baby Care Units

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of neonatal (a) sepsis, (b) meningitis and (c) pneumonia have been treated in NHS hospitals in each region in the last five years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information requested is attached.



PQ109717 attached doc.
(Excel SpreadSheet, 24.98 KB)

Carbon Monoxide: Poisoning

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people attended accident and emergency departments as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) England and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years.

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been admitted to hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) England and (b) each English region in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Philip Dunne: The number of people attending accident and emergency departments (A&E) as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning is not available. Information available on all finished admission episodes with carbon monoxide poisoning including those admitted via A&E for the last 10 years for England and by region is attached.



PQ109719 attached doc.
(Excel SpreadSheet, 21.84 KB)

Multiple Sclerosis

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of unplanned or emergency hospital admissions for multiple sclerosis patients related to issues that could have been treated without going to hospital in (a) York and (b) England in the last 12 months for which records are available.

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of unplanned or emergency hospital admissions for Parkinson's disease related to issues that could have been treated without going to hospital in (a) York and (b) England in the last 12 months for which records are available.

Mr Philip Dunne: This information is not held centrally.

Neuromuscular Disorders: Yorkshire and the Humber

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of different loads of access for patients with muscle-wasting conditions to neuromuscular care advisor support in (a) Bradford and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Steve Brine: No assessment has been made. NHS England is responsible for commissioning specialised neurological services, including services for patients with neuromuscular disorders. National Health Service providers, working with local area teams, may establish patient access to neuromuscular care advisers if they consider it would benefit service provision. Such decisions are a local matter.

Social Services

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much additional funding local authorities will require in order to pay overnight care at rates commensurate to the national minimum wage; and what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to secure that additional funding.

Jackie Doyle-Price: At the Spring Budget we announced an additional £2 billion to fund adult social care. As a result local government will be able to increase spending on social care in real terms over the next three years. The additional money was provided to support more people, ease pressures on the National Health Service, and to sustain a diverse care market. The Government has taken account of the cost arising from enforcement of national minimum wage for sleep-in shifts in deciding to provide this sum of additional funding. Local government is best placed to target resources based on their understanding of the diversity and sustainability of local care markets.

Hospitals: Admissions

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department measures rates of hospital re-admission.

Mr Philip Dunne: Data on a number of different hospital readmission indicators is published by NHS Digital on the NHS Digital Indicator Portal is available at: https://indicators.hscic.gov.uk/webview/Due to an ongoing methodological review, the latest publication for these indicators includes data up to and including the 2011/12 financial year. A key aspect of the methodological review is to establish a single definition of an emergency readmission. For example, different definitions of the indicator exclude different clinical conditions. The review is ongoing and there are no fixed timescales as to when the next publication of these indicators will take place.

Social Services: Living Wage

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what advice he received from the Care Quality Commission on the effect on the learning disability sector of changes to the interpretation of the national minimum wage on sleep-ins.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government recognises the pressure that has been placed on the sleep-in sector by historic liabilities for back pay. That is why the Department has been working closely with the Care Quality Commission and other social care stakeholders to ensure that we have a clear understanding of any impact the sector may face. The Government is committed to ensuring that any potential impact on the sector is minimised, in order to guarantee that vulnerable adults continue to receive the sleep-in support they require.

Health Services: Private Sector

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will instruct the Care Quality Commission to make well-led assessments of private healthcare companies providing NHS-commissioned services.

Mr Philip Dunne: All independent healthcare providers that provide a regulated activity are required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). As the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England, the CQC is responsible for deciding its own regulatory inspection and assessment framework. The CQC regulates and assesses all providers of regulated activities by looking at five domains – whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led.

Prisoners: Mental Health Services

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of prisoners with mental health problems have their mental health conditions identified in the initial screening when they enter prison.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to provide effective mental health services for prisoners serving sentences of less than 12 months.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of prisoners have suffered from a mental health issue in each of the last three years.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that all prisoners are given a follow-up mental health screening within the first 72 hours on the estate.

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how his Department measures the effectiveness of mental health screening in prison reception.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We do not collect information centrally relating to the proportion of prisoners with mental health problems that have their mental health conditions identified in the initial screening when they enter prison. The Basic Custody Screening Tool is an initial questionnaire that is used by the offender management unit within 72 hours of entry into prison and can identify prisoners suitable for referral to mental health services. New prisoners are also assessed by healthcare staff on their reception into prison in order to ascertain what urgent needs they may have to keep them safe in their first hours in custody. Every prisoner who is screened as requiring further mental health support will then be referred to the mental health team within the establishment. Prisoners already receive a further comprehensive assessment within 72 hours which would prompt further assessments or urgent treatment for any physical health, mental health and/or substance misuse needs. Prisoners will then have a second-stage assessment within seven days of their reception, which will assess their needs in more detail. We do not collect information centrally on how many and what proportion of prisoners have suffered from a mental health issue in each of the last three years. NHS England is currently working across the entire criminal justice pathway to improve services for offenders with mental health difficulties whatever their length of sentence. In line with the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, and the Strategic Direction for Health and Justice, NHS England is working with partners to intervene at the earliest opportunity to ensure that offenders receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. These specific mental health services will be available to prisoners across the estate where assessment identifies treatment needs.

Prescription Drugs

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether it is his Department's policy that rules on pharmacy supervision should be changed to all non-pharmacists to supervise the sale and supply of prescription medicines; and if he will make a statement.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how often the Pharmacy Rebalancing Board has met; and whether the minutes of those meetings are publicly available.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has received policy recommendations from the Pharmacy Rebalancing Board on pharmacy supervision; and what the timetable is for the receipt of further such recommendations.

Sue Hayman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential patient safety implications of allowing non-pharmacists to supervise the sale and supply of prescription medicines.

Steve Brine: The Government has not received any recommendations from the Rebalancing Medicines Legislation and Pharmacy Regulation Programme Board to allow non-pharmacists to supervise the sale and supply of prescription medicines. In keeping with its terms of reference, the Rebalancing Programme Board is giving very careful consideration to the supervision of the sale and supply of medicines and the roles of registered pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians, under the guidance of the four UK Chief Pharmaceutical Officers. Only when the Board has firm proposals will it make recommendations to Ministers and the devolved administrations. Any changes to legislation will be subject to full public consultation, including the completion of an impact assessment, underpinned by a quality systems approach, which maintains patient and public safety. The Rebalancing Programme Board meets regularly according to business need, having met three times in the last year. Full terms of reference and minutes of the meetings are published at:https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/pharmacy-regulation-programme-board

Hospitals: Parking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what penalties are imposed on NHS hospitals which fail to follow his Department's guidance on charging staff, patients and visitors to park their vehicles in NHS car parks.

Mr Philip Dunne: Penalties are not imposed on National Health Service trusts in relation to car parking charges and actions. The NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles (first published in August 2014 and then updated in October 2015), set out a nationally consistent approach to determining car parking policies, making clear the rules which NHS trusts should follow when making decisions about car parking.

Primodos

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress is being made on the inquiry into the Primodos hormone-based pregnancy test; and when he plans to publish the report.

Steve Brine: The report of the Commission on Human Medicines Expert Working Group on Hormone Pregnancy Tests (including Primodos) is currently being finalised and is expected to be published before the end of the year.

Female Genital Mutilation

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding the Government has allocated for the Female Genital Mutilation Prevention Programme.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to implement the Female Genital Mutilation Risk Indication System.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has allocated £4 million for the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Prevention Programme, to run from 2014-18. This includes funding for commissions to NHS Digital to produce the first ever FGM quarterly official statistics and a new safeguarding tool, the FGM Risk Indication System (RIS). The Programme has also funded FGM e-learning free of charge for all National Health Service staff, a range of FGM guidance materials, the development of clinical practice, national outreach events, awareness-raising initiatives and the support of partner projects. The FGM Risk Indication System shares information systematically about potential risk of FGM with healthcare professionals who come into contact with girls for whom a potential FGM risk has been identified. The RIS implementation phase has a target of supporting 50 maternity units across England to add the FGM RIS indicator by March 2018. Three maternity units are now using the system to share information about girls potentially at risk of FGM. NHS England is coordinating and supporting the remaining units to use the FGM RIS, with more than 25 actively working with to introduce the system. This is in conjunction with safeguarding networks, regional NHS England offices and clinical commissioning groups. NHS England supports sites to introduce the system using lessons learnt, providing expert guidance and advice on the RIS and information needed to make appropriate preparations and staff training to use it. This includes an assurance model to ensure that changes are sustainable. In addition, NHS Digital is working with healthcare record system suppliers to allow this system and the information held within it to be shown as part of a secure and integrated system to frontline clinicians - the priority being to make sure that general practitioners and community practitioners can see this information.

NHS 111

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of NHS 111 calls in each (a) region of England and (b) clinical commissioning group area were triaged to the ambulance service in the last 12 months for which data is available.

Mr Philip Dunne: The proportion of calls triaged that resulted in ambulance dispatch over the last 12 months for which data are available is given in the table below and broken down nationally, by region and by area (each of which is comprised of one or more clinical commissioning groups (CCGs)). Data for individual CCGs are not available.GeographyCalls triagedAmbulance dispatchesAmbulance dispatches as a % of calls triagedEngland12,090,5551,548,98912.8%North Region3,554,832481,82813.6%Midlands and East Region3,738,083453,92112.1%London Region1,449,855164,13711.3%South Region3,347,785449,10313.4%North East730,804122,06816.7%North West including Blackpool1,411,961205,50214.6%Yorkshire and Humber1,412,067154,25810.9%Lincolnshire173,19722,24012.8%Nottinghamshire247,44231,17512.6%Derbyshire269,55331,53911.7%Leicestershire and Rutland221,05228,96813.1%Northamptonshire181,74921,61911.9%Milton Keynes54,4196,28511.5%Staffordshire232,18129,50412.7%West Midlands excluding Staffordshire865,480113,88113.2%Norfolk including Great Yarmouth and Waveney274,90238,29413.9%Suffolk162,26320,93312.9%Cambridgeshire and Peterborough193,33123,48812.1%Luton and Bedfordshire111,66513,92612.5%Hertfordshire264,43225,9399.8%North Essex254,61324,9469.8%South Essex231,80421,1849.1%Outer North East London225,37125,50811.3%East London and City101,26910,94910.8%North Central London268,82229,06110.8%Inner North West London111,42612,18410.9%Outer North West London170,17722,43313.2%Hillingdon61,1787,99813.1%South West London252,10030,59212.1%South East London259,51225,4129.8%Isle of Wight72,0069,35513.0%Mainland SHIP479,44056,83911.9%Berkshire218,42324,50311.2%Buckinghamshire122,65712,58210.3%Oxfordshire172,93218,43710.7%Gloucestershire and Swindon138,76818,82713.6%Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire133,28417,85313.4%Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire280,22136,13912.9%Somerset116,35816,66514.3%Dorset194,28029,93515.4%Devon276,98847,54117.2%Cornwall132,87923,04317.3%South East Coast1,009,54937,38413.6%Source: NHS 111 Minimum Data Set 2017-18Note: To give comparable figures, the numbers for ‘South East Coast excluding East Kent’ and ‘East Kent’ have been added together for the period November 2016 to September 2017 to give a total for the ‘South East Coast’ area. Likewise the numbers for ‘Luton’ and ‘Bedfordshire’ have been added together for the period October 2016 to February 2017 to give a ‘Luton and Bedfordshire’ total, and the numbers for ‘Norfolk’ and ‘Great Yarmouth and Waveney’ have been added together for the period October 2016 to March 2017 to give a ‘Norfolk including Great Yarmouth and Waveney’ total.

General Practitioners

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of GPs who will work in the NHS in each year until 2022.

Steve Brine: In 2016, the General Practice Forward View set out Government plans for an extra 5,000 doctors working in general practice by 2020. Longer term projections for the employment of general practitioners (GPs) in the National Health Service will depend on resourcing levels that will be considered as part of future Spending Reviews. Workforce data on the number of GPs working for the NHS is collected and published quarterly by NHS Digital.

Obesity: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the trends in the level of obesity in children in the last 10 years; and how those trends compare with data from other countries.

Steve Brine: Of children aged 2-15, 18.6% were classified as obese using population monitoring thresholds in England in 2005 and 14.0% of children aged 2-15 were classified as obese in 2015. More information is available in ‘Health Survey for England, 2015: Children’s body mass index, overweight and obesity’:http://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB22610Estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has increased in most of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries since 1980. In girls in the United Kingdom, the estimated proportion of overweight (including obese) has increased from 21.0% to 29.2% over the period 1980-2013, a percentage rise of 39%. Similar percentage increases have been estimated for Canada (39%), Japan (39%), Chile (35%) and Denmark (42%). In boys in the UK, the combined proportion of overweight and obese has increased from 17.6% in 1980 to 26.1% in 2013 a percentage rise of 48%. Similar percentage increases have been estimated for Slovakia (45%), Turkey (45%) and the United States (52%). More information is available here:https://khub.net/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=1aa529dc-8411-401c-a4f0-f216b28257b9&groupId=31798783

Pregnancy: Mental Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what average waiting time after referral was for treatment of mental health challenges experienced in pregnancy and the first postnatal year in (a) York Central constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber Region and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many women with a maternal mental health condition have been transferred out-of-area for specialist treatment (a) nationally, (b) from York to Leeds and (c) from York to elsewhere in each of the last three years.

Jackie Doyle-Price: We do not currently hold data in the format requested. Promoting good maternal and perinatal mental health is a key priority for NHS England, with its importance reflected in both the NHS England Better Births document and the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, both of which are attached. NHS England and its partners are working on an ambitious programme to increase capacity and capability in specialist perinatal mental health services across England so that more women can access appropriate, high-quality specialist mental health care, closer to home, when they need it during the perinatal period, both in the community and in inpatient Mother and Baby Units. This transformation is backed by £365 million investment from the Department between 2015/16 and 2020/21.



PQ110203 attached doc.
(PDF Document, 2.36 MB)




PQ110203 attached doc.
(PDF Document, 3.61 MB)

Pregnancy: Mental Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds there were in specialist mother and baby mental health units in (a) York Central constituency, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber Region and (c) England in each year since 2010.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is shown in the table for the years available. YearYork Central Constituency (commissioned beds)Yorkshire and Humber (commissioned beds) [Leeds services]England (commissioned beds)2013/14061102014/15061102015/16061122016/1708120 Source: NHS England

Pregnancy: Mental Health

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to raise awareness of mental health challenges experienced in pregnancy and the first postnatal year.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Promoting good maternal and perinatal mental health is a key priority for this Government, with its importance reflected in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. The Department is investing £365 million from 2015/16 to 2020/21 in perinatal mental health services, and NHS England is leading a transformation programme to ensure that by 2020/21 at least 30,000 more women each year are able to access evidence-based specialist mental health care during the perinatal period. A key element of the programme is to increase awareness and skills across the workforce, supporting better identification of perinatal mental illness, early intervention and consequently improved recovery rates. In addition, there are over 570 perinatal mental health visitor champions. Their role is to support health visitors with the identification and management of anxiety, mild to moderate depression and other perinatal mental disorders, and knowing when to refer on.

Bereavement Counselling

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to improve bereavement care following miscarriage or stillbirth.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department is funding Sands, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death charity, to work with other baby loss charities and Royal Colleges to produce a National Bereavement Care Pathway to reduce the variation in the quality of bereavement care provided by the National Health Service. The pathway will cover a range of circumstances of a baby loss including: miscarriage, stillbirth and termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, and neonatal death. The Wave 1 pilot scheme of the pathway was launched in 11 pilot sites in October 2017, and the intention is for a national roll-out in October 2018. In addition, NHS England produced guidance for Local Maternity Systems to implement the Better Births recommendations. It provides advice on how to implement key deliverables for Local Maternity Systems and details on key issues and complementary work that may be required to support these deliverables. In doing so, it mentions the importance of Local Maternity Systems to consider bereavement care. By the end of October 2017, every part of England will have a plan to implement Better Births recommendations. In June 2017, NHS England published ’Gathering feedback from families following the death of their baby’. This is a resource being used across England to improve bereavement care by supporting Local Maternity Systems to seek feedback from families when bereavement occurs and to use the insight to commission bereavement services that are fit for purpose.

Muscular Dystrophy

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence evaluation of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment Exondys 51.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is developing guidance on the use of eteplirsen (Exondys 51) through its highly specialised technology (HST) evaluation programme. NICE’s HST evaluation committee is scheduled to discuss this topic in May 2018 with final guidance expected to be issued in October 2018. The provisional timeline for eteplirsen is based upon the anticipated licensing dates for the drug.

Muscular Dystrophy

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that NHS England and Sarepta Therapeutics conduct pricing negotiations at an early stage in the evaluation of Exondys 51.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) highly specialised technology (HST) evaluation process for eteplirsen (Exondys 51) allows the company to propose a Patient Access Scheme to the Department, or to discuss commercial arrangements with NHS England, if required. The process provides sufficient time to ensure the evaluation is completed on schedule.

Diseases: Medical Treatments

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to increase the capacity of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Highly Specialised Technologies Programme to evaluate new treatments for rare conditions; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Brine: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is resourced to evaluate three technologies through its Highly Specialised Technologies (HST) programme in 2017/18. The resources and capacity of NICE’s HST programme in future years will be considered alongside other priorities through the annual business planning process, taking into account the expected demand for HST guidance.

Mental Health Services

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the nine street triage pilots on mental health and policing which it commissioned.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost of a national roll-out of street triage services in mental health and policing.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Department has not made an assessment of the total cost to the public purse of the nine street triage pilots. However, we invested £2 million in 2013 to conduct the nine pilots for street triage services which ran for 12 months. We commissioned an evaluation of the pilots which was carried out by University College London and published in 2016. A copy of the report is attached. The Department has not made an assessment of the cost of rolling out street triage services nationally. This is a matter for local commissioners working with their local Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat groups.



PQ110288 attached doc.
(PDF Document, 1.34 MB)

Hospitals: Parking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what information his Department holds on how many and which NHS hospitals have failed to follow its guidance on charging staff, patients and visitors to park their vehicles in NHS car parks.

Mr Philip Dunne: The information on how many and which National Health Service hospitals failed to follow its guidance on charging staff, patients and visitors is not collected. NHS trusts make decisions locally about the provision of car parking to patients, visitors and staff. The Department published clear guidelines (car parking principles) for NHS organisations that they are expected to follow.

Hospitals: Parking

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's guidance to NHS hospitals is on charging staff, patients and visitors to park their vehicles in NHS car parks.

Mr Philip Dunne: National Health Service organisations are responsible locally for their own policy on car parking, taking into account operational circumstances and community interests. The Department published clear guidelines (car parking principles) for NHS organisations that they are expected to follow. They can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles/nhs-patient-visitor-and-staff-car-parking-principles

Dental Services

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which categories of claimants of universal credit are entitled to claim free dental treatment; and whether he has plans to review that entitlement.

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which categories of claimants of universal credit are entitled to claim free prescriptions; and whether he has plans to review that entitlement.

Steve Brine: Claimants of Universal Credit will be entitled to free National Health Service prescriptions and free dental care if their earnings for the most recent assessment period are below prescribed thresholds. A claimant would be entitled to free NHS prescriptions and/or free NHS dental care if their earnings during that period were: - £435 or less;- £935 or less if their Universal Credit includes an element for either:- a child; or- limited capability for work. The ‘most recent assessment period’ means the assessment period that ended immediately before the date on which a claimant claimed free NHS prescriptions or free NHS dental care. The period runs for a calendar month. Where claimants claim Universal Credit as a couple, the earnings threshold that applies is either the earnings of the single claimant or the joint claimants’ combined income. In addition, where claimants who are in receipt of an element for either a child or limited capacity for work, are responsible for a child, or a young person who is aged over 16 and under 19 who is receiving education or are in a traineeship, those children and young persons will be entitled to receive free NHS prescriptions and/or free NHS dental care. Individuals aged 18 who are not receiving education and are Universal Credit claimants in their own right will be entitled to these benefits. The Department has no current plans to change these arrangements, but will keep the earnings thresholds under review on an annual basis.